2020 NFL Draft Grades – Green Bay Packers
Given the months and months of build-up to the annual NFL draft, the rush to summarize a team’s rookie draft class in a few sentences and stamp a letter grade on it has never quite made much sense to me.
In the past, I’ve compared this process to patrons at a restaurant complimenting (or complaining to) the chef based on the menu, rather than waiting to actually taste the food.
In much this same way, it obviously takes time to properly evaluate a draft. Given all of the complexities of the 2020 NFL draft, specifically, this is especially true.
So, while we cannot skip years ahead to know for certain which players will ultimately exceed or fail to live up to expectations in the NFL, we can provide a much deeper dive into each team’s rookie class.
Therefore, in a 32-part series, NFLDraftScout.com will be providing a detailed breakdown of each of the NFL teams’ rookie hauls, following the original draft order. Each team will be evaluated on the quality, quantity and relative safety of their draft classes (including undrafted free agents), with specific players recognized as Best Player, Best Value and Best Project, culminating in one “final” grade.
Today’s team: Green Bay Packers
Head Coach: Matt LaFleur
General Manager: Brian Gutekunst
Players selected in 2020:
Round 1, Pick 26 overall: QB Jordan Love, Utah State
Round 2, Pick 62 overall: RB A.J. Dillon, Boston College
Round 3, Pick 94 overall: TE Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati
Round 5, Pick 175 overall: LB Kamal Martin, Minnesota
Round 6, Pick 192 overall: OL Jon Runyan, Michigan
Round 6, Pick 208 overall: OL Jake Hanson, Oregon
Round 6, Pick 209 overall: OL Simon Stepaniak, Indiana
Round 7, Pick 236 overall: DB Vernon Scott, TCU
Round 7, Pick 242 overall: DE Jonathan Garvin, Miami
Key Undrafted Free Agents:
OLB Tipa Galeai, Utah State
CB Stanford Samuels, Florida State
RB Patrick Taylor, Memphis
WR Darrell Stewart, Michigan State
DB Will Sunderland, Troy
Overview of the Packers’ 2020 draft:
The Green Bay Packers approached the 2020 NFL draft like a jilted lover, forsaking prior commitments in favor of an entirely new fetish that had current players, passionate fans and certainly members of the media questioning the strategy. This was a club, after all, which finished 13-3 in its first season under the new leadership of general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur and finished just outside of the Super Bowl, losing in San Francisco to the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. On the field, it was led, of course, by eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who simply threw 26 touchdowns (his most since 2016) against just four interceptions with his backfield mate, Aaron Jones, scoring a league-high 19 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns during the regular season (with four more in the playoffs). Instead of building around the Packers’ current nucleus by perhaps taking advantage of historic receiver and tackle classes, Gutekunst aggressively traded up for Utah State quarterback Jordan Love and followed that up in the second round with the selection of bruising big back A.J. Dillon out of Boston College. The Packers added a pass-catcher in the third round, but it was Cincinnati tight end/H-back Josiah Deguara (6-2, 242), whose ability to create advantageous matchups (but lack of strength at the point of attack) is similar to Jace Sternberger, the 6-4, 251-pounder selected in the third round last year. With six selections on Day Three, the Packers had plenty of chances to rescue their curious first two days, but continued with the surprising selections, gambling on being able to develop Minnesota linebacker Kamal Martin in the fifth round before finally turning to the offensive line, selecting highly dependable (but not very athletic) pluggers Jon Runyan (Michigan, 27 career starts), Jake Hanson (Oregon, 49) and Simon Stepaniak (Indiana, 31) – all of whom project inside to guard in the NFL. The Packers’ final two picks – TCU safety Vernon Scott and Miami edge rusher Jonathan Garvin – were quality late round flyer selections on toolsy-players who need to find more consistency. They serve as a perfect bow to the Packers’ 2020 draft – one clearly designed more with the franchise’s long-term future in mind, over adding immediate firepower. That strategy makes cents with Rodgers, 36, set to earn nearly $44 million over the next two years of his deal and Jones entering the final year of his rookie contract. It will only make logical sense, however, if Love, Dillon and the rest of a class (that felt like reaches) live up to the Packers’ expectations.
Best Player of the Packers’ 2020 Draft: QB Jordan Love
Though Rodgers is still performing at a Pro Bowl level, it was wise of the Packers to draft a young quarterback to groom. Further, give Green Bay credit for recognizing that Love, while talented, needs polishing, particularly when it comes to protecting the football, a specialty of the pin-point accurate Rodgers. Consider that Love threw 17 interceptions against mostly inferior Mountain West Conference talent a year ago, which is just two less than Rodgers has thrown the past four NFL seasons combined. In some ways, Love is more like a young Brett Favre than Rodgers, showing a willingness to gamble on his arm to make incredibly difficult throws. His willingness to take them and ability to make many of them is what led some to compare Love to Kansas City Chiefs’ superstar Patrick Mahomes. Like Mahomes (and Favre), Love can make some jaw-dropping plays while improvising. He is elusive, possesses great vision to scan the field on the move and has the pillow-soft touch to drop passes down the chimney. It was his lack of consistency on the more standard throws, however, which concern me – something which stood out on tape throughout his career at Utah State (including his much more impressive 2018 season), as well as from the Senior Bowl stands. I ranked Love fifth among the quarterbacks in this class and 74 overall. He was the highest-rated player from Green Bay’s 2020 draft class on my board, a polar opposite of how I felt about Gutekunst and LaFleur’s first year together.
Best Value of the Packers’ 2020 Draft: RB AJ Dillon
Dillon steps into an enviable role as the thunder to Jones’ lightning in the Packers’ prolific offense, offering the potential for an immediate impact that perhaps no other rookie in Green Bay’s class can match. The 6-0, 247 pounder is every bit as physical as his size suggests, immediately boosting the grit of Green Bay’s running game – a relative weak spot, in my opinion, of this franchise for quite some time. Like some of the other quality big backs to come into the NFL in recent years – like reigning rushing champion Derrick Henry in Tennessee – Dillon is not just a big back, he’s surprisingly agile, showing light feet and lateral agility to elude, as well as the leg drive to bulldoze through would-be tacklers. Given the frigid weather conditions so common at Lambeau late in the season, adding a finisher like Dillon makes an awful lot of sense. Of course, to use him effectively, that means committing to a downhill rushing attack, taking away snaps from Jones and throws from Rodgers.
Best Project of the Packers’ 2020 Draft: LB Kamal Martin
While not necessarily a bad thing, the Packers ranked behind only the Cleveland Browns as the team which selected the most projects in the 2020 draft. Hopefully, some of the raw prospects selected by both clubs meet or even exceed expectations. Martin, along with seventh rounders Scott and Garvin and the top couple of undrafted free agents, is one of my favorite candidates from Green Bay’s 2020 draft class to do so. The 6-3, 240 pound Martin was an undersized pass rusher early on at Minnesota but was switched to inside linebacker for his senior season. As one might expect given his late position switch, Martin looked a step behind in his reads and run fits early on and his development was delayed by foot and knee sprains. He recorded 66 tackles in just eight games, however, and flashed his big play potential, recording two interceptions in the Big Ten opener against Purdue and two forced fumbles a week later against fellow conference opponent Illinois. With less than one year at the position, Martin is certainly underdeveloped. However, the Packers have a real need at inside linebacker with free agent departure Blake Martinez taking his 155 tackles a year ago to the New York Giants (3 in the NFL). Martin has the frame, speed and physical nature to surprise if given an opportunity, providing the Packers with a potential Day Three steal.
Overall Grade for the Packers’ 2020 Draft: C-
Previous 2020 NFL Draft Report Cards: Cincinnati Bengals |Washington Redskins | Detroit Lions | New York Giants | Miami Dolphins | Los Angeles Chargers | Carolina Panthers | Arizona Cardinals | Jacksonville Jaguars | Cleveland Browns | New York Jets | Las Vegas Raiders | Indianapolis Colts | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Denver Broncos | Atlanta Falcons | Dallas Cowboys | Pittsburgh Steelers | Chicago Bears | Los Angeles Rams | Philadelphia Eagles | Buffalo Bills | New England Patriots | New Orleans Saints | Houston Texans | Minnesota Vikings | Seattle Seahawks | Baltimore Ravens | Green Bay Packers | Tennessee Titans | San Francisco 49ers | Kansas City Chiefs
