The Aaron Rodgers era is over in Green Bay, and now it's time for ... Sean Clifford? Days after trading Rodgers to usher in former first-round draft pick Jordan Love as their new quarterback, the Packers made a surprising addition to the position on Saturday, selecting Clifford, the overlooked Penn State prospect, in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Green Bay prioritized weapons for Love earlier in the draft, adding three different skill players -- wide receiver Jayden Reed, and tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft -- in Rounds 2-3. But general manager Brian Gutekunst ignored other needs -- such as safety and offensive line depth -- to make Clifford the 149th overall pick in the draft.
It's true the Packers could've used another arm on the QB depth chart. Behind Love, who appeared briefly in 2022 while relieving Rodgers, only reserve Danny Etling, who's never taken an NFL snap, entered the draft under contract at the position. But plenty expected Green Bay to target more proven insurance. And Clifford by himself simply was not a heralded prospect.
After six seasons at Penn State, including a redshirt year and one behind future NFL backup Trace McSorley, Clifford will turn 25 this summer, meaning he's already more than three months older than Love. While he was accomplished statistically for the Nittany Lions, setting a school record for career completion percentage, passing yards and touchdowns, he was widely expected to be a seventh-round pick at best, and more likely an undrafted free agent.
While he moves well inside the pocket and has the athleticism to improvise, per CBS Sports' scouting report, Clifford often fails to step into throws, take chances downfield or find open reads at every level of the field. He did, however, notably beat out Will Levis, who later transferred to Kentucky and went No. 33 overall to the Titans this year.
Clifford wasn't the only QB to come off the board on Day 3, following in the footsteps of fourth-round picks Jake Haener (Saints), Stetson Bennett (Rams) and Aidan O'Connell (Raiders) and fifth-rounders Clayton Tue (Cardinals), Dorian Thompson-Robinson (Browns) and Jaren Hall (Vikings).
