Green Bay Packers Showing Interest in QB Jalen Hurts

It has been reported that the Green Bay Packers have had a virtual call with QB Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma.

To draft Aaron Rodgers’ eventual successor this year, or not to? That is the million-dollar question that many are asking.

Earlier this offseason GM Brian Gutekunst had mentioned that the Green Bay Packers will be open to addressing the quarterback position early on in this year’s draft. And so far we know that they’ve shown interest in Jordan Love out of Utah State, who many consider a first-round talent, along with a few others.

However, it was just reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that the Green Bay Packers – along with the Los Angeles Chargers – have already had a virtual meeting with Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma.

Hurts spent his first three seasons with Alabama where he was a part of the 2017 National Championship team, but with the emergence of Tua Tagovailoa, he would end up transferring to Oklahoma. Which is where he spent this past season.

He is one of the more experienced quarterbacks that we will see in this era of college football with 56 appearances over his career. And during his four-year career, Hurts would finish with a completion percentage of 65 percent, he would throw for nearly 9,500 yards, along with 80 touchdowns to just 20 interceptions.

Here is what Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network had to say about Hurts in his final scouting report:

"“QB Jalen Hurts is a transfer from Alabama who has steadily progressed as a passer — he still has limitations but the improvement he’s shown over his last 3 seasons is notable, the arrow is pointing in the right direction. Hurts is a perfect Day 2 QB in today’s NFL, where he can shine via on extended plays, mobility, play-making ability and comfort off script. Hurts’ general accuracy may temper his overall ceiling but he’s a developmental starter caliber player.”"

And for a different perspective, here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had to say about Hurts’ game:

"“Like Tim Tebow, Hurts is a winning dual-threat quarterback known for his strength, toughness and character. Hurts is a more accurate passer and better runner than Tebow but is inconsistent as a decision-maker and tends to break the pocket when throws are there to be made.His deep-ball touch and intermediate accuracy improved this year so teams may see him as a developmental talent who will keep getting better in the right scheme. He’ll struggle to beat NFL defenses from the pocket, but his ability to grind out yards on the ground and make off-schedule plays should make him a solid backup with upward mobility.”"

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has Hurts projected as a second or third-round selection in this year’s draft, which is still too early in my eyes for the Packers to be selecting a quarterback. Green Bay was just one game shy of the Super Bowl 2019, so they should be spending their top-100 draft picks on players who can contribute right away.

Now, if Hurts happens to fall to Round 4, well, then I’m more open to the idea of selecting him. But as both scouting reports suggest, he certainly needs time to develop and there is no guarantee that he ever becomes a viable starting option in the NFL.

Ultimately, I think Gutey is just doing his due diligence, which is exactly what he should be doing. And while I don’t think drafting Hurts is high up on their to-do list, if he does happen to fall to Day 3, then I’m sure he will be on their radar.