Green Bay may decide to add to their quarterback room in the upcoming NFL Draft, even after selecting their starter of the future.]
There’s no shortage of conjecture in April for clubs in search of a quarterback. However, there isn’t much consideration given to clubs like the Green Bay Packers that don’t require quarterbacks. If 2023 taught us anything it’s that quarterbacks are not necessary until they are needed. Suddenly, the 2023 season’s big story was the year of the backup quarterback.
Teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Pittsburgh Steelers, among others, had their dreams dashed by injuries at the position.
It will be interesting to analyze what the Green Bay Packers will do at quarterback given the number of contenders who were forced to start as backups or third-stringers in 2023 and the intriguing depth of this year’s impending draft class.
This team’s starter is Jordan Love. Love established beyond a shadow of a doubt in his rookie season that he was worthy of a long-term deal from the Packers. According to ESPN Stats, he placed in the top 10 in a number of categories, including yards, touchdowns, and QBR. Love’s performance towards the end of 2023 in particular is encouraging for the Packers going forward.
Love is unquestionably the quarterback of the future, but that doesn’t mean the Packers shouldn’t construct a quarterback room. They have been using this model for many years. Since Ron Wolf joined the team in the 1990s, Green Bay has placed a high value on quarterback depth.
Names like Aaron Brooks, Matt Hasselbeck, and Doug Pederson backed up Brett Favre. While the 2000s for Green Bay was defined by selecting Aaron Rodgers, the organization has shown they value quarterbacks. This 2024 draft class has a mix of intriguing prospects that could find homes on teams with established starters.
The NFL has recently witnessed young quarterbacks with a lot of college experience step up to the plate and keep their teams afloat when the starter goes down, from Jake Browning to Brock Purdy. While Jake Plummer of Louisville enters the draft having started 37 collegiate games at three different institutions, Purdy and Browning have very different NFL stories. His NFL career might parallel that of Raiders player Aidan O’Connell, who once beat Plummer out of a position while both players were at Purdue.
Throughout his five years in college, Plummer developed, and a team like Green Bay would find him useful. Plummer has demonstrated touch in his throws despite not having the strongest arm. Plummer is intelligent and of the standard build for the role. Furthermore, his exposure to several systems ought to improve his draft status.
Leary, another college quarterback with a ton of playing experience, will go into the draft with varying assessments of his ability. Leary completed his college career with 42 victories through the air. While still at NC State, he had his best season in 2021, helping the Wolfpack pull off a couple surprising victories. During his undergraduate tenure, Leary was not surrounded by NFL talent, which allowed him to function well inside the system and improve those around him.
Leary is a competent passer who can make throws at all levels of the field despite not having the longest arm. Having worked with an NFL mind in 2023, he possesses such experience. Leary’s draft status has increased thanks to his Senior Bowl preparations. He now projects as a day-three pick, though. Leary is one of the three quarterbacks the Packers might select due to his experience and intangibles.
Travis might not be selected in the draft. Once unthinkable, Travis has a troubled past of injuries when he joins the NFL Draft. Teams may find this to be a topic of contention. But Travis had a lot of starting experience from his six years of college. Travis continued to get better as the 2022 and 2023 seasons went on. His final sixteen games as a Florida State starter were victories. His injury essentially kept the Seminoles out of the College Football Playoffs and was a major factor in their season’s c
Travis will draw criticism for both his size and his injuries. However, his potential as a prospect is more intriguing than what he accomplished for Florida State in his last two years. Travis places the ball with above-average accuracy when passing. He shown more arm confidence in 2023 when making deeper throws. He has outstanding footwork and a rapid release as well. Receivers like Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman at Florida State made Travis’s 50-50 throws appear simple. Nonetheless, there are many positive aspects of his game, and his skill set might be just what the Packers need in a backup quarterback.
Travis will be criticized for his injuries as well as his size. But more exciting than what he produced for Florida State in his final two seasons was his potential as a prospect. When passing, Travis places the ball with precision that is above average. In 2023, he demonstrated more arm confidence when he made longer throws. He also releases the ball quickly and has excellent feet. At Florida State, receivers like Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman made Travis’s 50-50 throws look easy. However, he has a lot going for him, and his skill set could be just what the Packers need in a backup quarterback.
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