Clifford, Surprising Fifth-Round Pick, Gets Golden Opportunity

The Green Bay Packers drafted Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford in the fifth-round on Saturday. It’s a great opportunity.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Apr 29, 2023 10:21 PM EDT

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – No team in the NFL has a quarterback situation quite like the Green Bay Packers.

It’s not just that Jordan Love has to replace legendary Aaron Rodgers. It’s that the only other quarterback on the roster was Danny Etling, a seventh-round pick in 2018 who has more position changes (quarterback to receiver and back to quarterback) than regular-season snaps (zero) in his five NFL seasons.

That was the entire quarterbacking depth chart until the Packers surprisingly selected Penn State’s Sean Clifford in the fifth round on Saturday.

“We got him at a good spot where we valued him so, from that standpoint, we’re very pleased to be able to add him,” Packers director of football operations Milt Hendrickson said.

Whether that was a “good spot” is debatable. One team’s top scout, when asked about Clifford as a fifth-rounder, sent back a laughing-face-emoji text.

Regardless, not many late-round quarterbacks have been afforded such a great opportunity to make a 53-man roster.

Unless the Packers add a veteran quarterback – and that’s not in the cards at the moment, general manager Brian Gutekunst said – it will be Etling vs. Clifford to be the No. 2 quarterback.

“I’m just blessed to be in the situation that I am,” Clifford said when the depth chart was pointed out to him during his introductory Zoom call. “I’m really excited to get into that room and talk to those guys and really get to know them. I’ve got a lot of respect for all of them in the room.

“I think that just being able to learn and grow and see what it’s like to now be a pro, pick their brains and see what they do on a day-to-day basis to make them as good as they are. I’m just excited to learn, learn and grow, especially soon. I want to get up there. I want to get the playbook and just get my head into it, so that way I can really start to contribute however I can.”

There’s no knocking what Clifford did during a storied career.

While not universally loved by scouts, he was incredibly productive. A four-year starter, Clifford is the school’s career leader in completion percentage (61.2) completions (817), passing yards (10,382) and passing touchdowns (84). Among quarterbacks, he’s third with 1,074 rushing yards and second with 11,456 total yards.

As a quarterback, the priority is doing what it takes to win games. His 32 wins is a school record, as well.

“He’s the all-time leader at Penn State between yards and touchdowns and he’s played in big games,” Hendrickson said. “That kid coming into the environment in Lambeau, it’s not going to be too big for him. And I think that experience factor along with some of the moxie that he has as a guy, to me it’s a culmination of who he is, not one specific aspect that way.”

Clifford spent six seasons at Penn State and will turn 25 before training camp, making him a few months older than Love. He’s also one of only two four-time captains in school history.

“I think that just being able to win games, first and foremost,” Clifford said. “Especially last year, being able to contribute and win the Rose Bowl with that team. I love those guys, I love Penn State, my six years there. But really just being able to get better every single day. I had a bunch of guys I love going to work with there. And I think they just see that work ethic, that leadership and being able to be a pro when I was in college. I’m excited to be a pro officially and be able to contribute in every single way.”

At 6-foot-2, with 9 5/8-inch hands and with a 4.59-second time in the 40-yard dash, he checks the physical boxes. Penn State’s RPO-style offense, combined with Clifford’s toughness and ability to make plays on the move, should all play well in coach Matt LaFleur’s offense. For two years, he beat out hyped draft prospect Will Levis to be the starter, so it’s not as if he’s not talented.

“Sean is a guy that is really intelligent,” LaFleur said. “He’s played a lot of games. He’s got some athleticism, he’s a natural thrower. All the things that we look for in quarterbacks, he possesses. We had him up here on a [predraft] visit and went through the meetings with him and were impressed by his football acumen and his overall intelligence.”

But can he throw the ball well enough to be Love’s backup, which would put him one snap away from being the No. 1 quarterback?

“I just want to be able to contribute and add value to a team and franchise, one that’s so great like the Green Bay Packers,” Clifford said. “It’s an honor to be able to be in that room with such great players.

“Whatever I’m called upon doing, I’ll do to the best of my abilities and just work and promise the Green Bay area and everybody included in the franchise that you’re going to get 100 percent of Sean Clifford every single day, a guy that loves football and a guy that wants to come to work. I’m really excited just to be able to do that, just continue to work hard.”