If there is one Green Bay Packers player who is keeping an incredibly close eye on this year's draft class, it is backup quarterback Kyle McCord.
McCord was signed by the Packers to a futures contract in January, and if the season started today would be in line to be the emergency option behind Jordan Love and Desmond Ridder. However, the Packers have already given early indications that the franchise will continue to look to add to the position.
With free agency options quickly waning, it would make sense to draft a potential backup option to compete with Ridder. This would spell trouble for McCord and push the signal caller from a preseason option and clear emergency backup to an unlikely roster inclusion.
If the Packers opt to draft a quarterback at any point, it is going to be in the team's best interest to invest in this pick and part ways with a quarterback that has very little investment given in McCord.
Packers Drafting a QB Could Be Bad News for Kyle McCord
Draft picks are obviously incredibly important assets, and McCord understands that spending one on his position would spell the end of his time with Green Bay. While there is an outside chance of McCord beating out Ridder for the final spot at the position, it appears the more likely path is McCord being cut if the Packers were to bring in anyone else of note to the position, especially when the former Atlanta Falcons QB has more experience than him.
While it might not be in McCord's best interest for the franchise to select a quarterback, it makes perfect sense from the perspective of Green Bay. The Packers have benefitted over the last two seasons from having Malik Willis as a reliable backup and a clear, capable option ready to step into the lineup if anything happened to Love.
It's safe to say that McCord and Ridder don't offer the same type of security. After all, McCord has yet to start a regular-season NFL game and is only one year removed from being drafted, while Ridder has almost as many interceptions (14) as touchdowns (16), and hasn't won a start since Week 13 of the 2023 campaign.
So, yeah, it's easy to see why general manager Brian Gutekunst is open to adding another arm this spring.
It appears that the Packers are setting themselves up to make meaningful changes under center if the opportunity presents itself. McCord will be monitoring that situation closely, leaving time to tell if he'll have a legitimate shot to compete for QB2/3 honors, or if his time in Titletown will end as quickly as it began.