The Green Bay Packers had another quarterback in for a top-30 NFL Draft visit. This time, it was former Penn State QB Sean Clifford.
The Green Bay Packers clearly want to upgrade their quarterback room behind Jordan Love, who appears set to be the heir-apparent to future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers will be traded to the New York Jets. It’s only a matter of time, despite what some in the industry may suggest about alternative options. The return is expected to be somewhere in the vicinity of a first-round pick, even if that comes with protections. The Jets need a quarterback badly.
As for the Packers, they’ll need a cagey veteran to back up Love when he takes the reigns, and bring experience to the QB room.
Packers invite Sean Clifford for pre-draft visit
This is nothing against Sean Clifford or any quarterback in this year’s draft class, but it would be wise of the Packers to sign a backup for Love, rather than drafting one.
Very few Day 3 picks — which is what the Penn State product projects to be — end up viable starters in the NFL. And if the Packers need a practice squad QB, surely they can find that option on the roster or elsewhere.
Clifford was the Rose Bowl MVP. He’s not viewed as one of the top-5 QBs in this class by any stretch, but he does deserve to go to a team where he has a potential path to prove himself. That won’t happen with the Packers, as Love is just 24 years old and entrenched as the starter.
A vet like, say, Trevor Siemian would be an ideal backup for Love, rather than a player even younger than he is. Siemian is over 30 years old, his role is clear, and he has starting experience just in case. It’s a win-win, rather than a chance the Packers can’t afford to take at this stage.
