Green Bay Packers: Get to Know Jordan Love’s Game

Here are what some NFL Draft analysts are saying about new Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love in their most recent scouting reports.

Love it or hate it – no pun intended – Jordan Love is now a member of the Green Bay Packers and is the heir apparent to Aaron Rodgers. While many of us were hoping that Green Bay would add another offensive weapon in round one or bolster the defense, Brian Gutekunst instead decided to draft the quarterback of the future. Although we hope that he doesn’t have to play anytime soon.

So as a player, what does Love bring to the table?

Well, Love is a fairly experienced quarterback having appeared in 38 games at Utah State and he has been the starting quarterback there since the final six games of his freshman season in 2017. But it was his 2018 season where we would see Love take a big step forward as he completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,567 yards with 32 touchdowns to only six interceptions.

The buzz around Love as a draft prospect began to grow, unfortunately, this past season we would see him take a step back numbers-wise. In 13 games he would see his completion percentage drop to 62 percent, his total yards fall to 3,402, and he would throw only 20 touchdowns to 17 interceptions, which was the most in college football.

After watching Love, you can see what it is about him that Gutey really liked. At 6’4″ – 224 pounds, Love has good size and very good athleticism to match. He also has a big NFL caliber arm that allows him to make just about any throw on the field and when he’s on, he’s on.

While we see the potential that Love has as a quarterback, his game needs quite a bit of refinement as well. As evidenced by his completion percentage and interception total, his accuracy and overall decision making must improve. Hopefully, those are two things that get ironed out while sitting and learning behind Aaron Rodgers for a few seasons, but that remains to be seen.

For a more in-depth look at the current state of Love’s game, here are what a few draft analysts had to say in their scouting reports:

Kyle Crabbs – The Draft Network

"“Jordan Love has franchise quarterback qualities and should be regarded as a prospect with a Pro Bowl ceiling. Love’s statistical regression in 2019 isn’t indicative of a regression in skills or decision making — was a victim of poor supporting cast in many instances.Love will need patience and must go to a team with coaching staff able to nurture, develop and cater passing schemes to where he thrives. He isn’t plug and play but he’s a potential game changing QB.”"

Joe Marino – The Draft Network

"“Jordan Love isn’t without his warts but he possesses a high-level physical skill set and peaks on tape that reveal the ceiling of a potential dynamic NFL starting quarterback. His arm talent and mobility is perfect for the trends of today’s NFL and there is no limitations to what he can do on the field.The full playbook is open for Love and then some. With that said, he does need to make notable strides in several key areas including decision-making, timing and accuracy to achieve his ceiling. An early investment in Love is a bet on yourself to be able to develop his overall game but his upside is worth the calculated risk.”"

NFL Comp: Colin Kaepernick

Lance Zierlein – NFL.com

"“Challenging evaluation for quarterback-needy teams balancing traits and potential against disappointing 2019 tape. Staff turnover and new starters across the offense are partly to blame for his regression, but self-made flaws in process were also concerns. Love’s accuracy took a step back, and his delayed reaction from “see it” to “throw it” when making reads is troubling.He has the arm to stick throws into tight windows but needs better eye discipline and anticipation to keep windows open. His size, mobility and arm talent combined with his 2018 flashes could be a winning hand that leads a team into the future or a siren’s song of erratic play and unfulfilled potential.”"

NFL Comp: Blake Bortles

Tony Pauline – Pro Football Network

"“Love looked like a franchise quarterback after the 2018 season, but he watched his game take a step back last year. He pressed and tried to take too much on his shoulders throughout the 2019 season, which ended up in disaster. Love had a solid week of practice at the Senior Bowl, tested well at the NFL Combine and comes with great upside, but he will need to be properly coached and developed.”"

So there’s the inside scoop on Love. As I said, he has many of the tools that NFL teams covet in their starting quarterbacks, but he is nowhere near ready to put them to use as an every day starter.