College QBs Declaring for NFL Draft is Good News for Packers
The next general manager of the Packers will inherit a team with one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks. The 2018 NFL Draft will likely feature a handful of quarterbacks who will be selected in the first ten picks, leaving Green Bay with a deep pool of talented prospects when selecting 14th.
UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph all figure to be in the mix at the top of the draft.
Of the 12 teams on the clock before the Packers (Cleveland will make two selections after acquiring Houston’s 2018 first-round pick during the 2017 draft), four will be in the market for a franchise quarterback.
Here’s the order leading up to the Packers’ pick at 14:
- Cleveland
- New York Giants
- Indianapolis
- Cleveland
- Denver
- New York Jets
- Tampa Bay
- Chicago
- San Francisco
- Oakland
- Miami
- Cincinnati
- Washington
- Green Bay
The Browns, Giants, Broncos, and Jets will all be in the market for a starting quarterback. Additionally, the Bengals and Redskins may also look to pick a quarterback if Andy Dalton or Kirk Cousins were to leave their respective teams this offseason.
There are teams in the back-half of the draft like the Cardinals, Bills and Jaguars who may be hungry to trade up if they fall in love with one of the top quarterback prospects.
The more quarterbacks selected, the better for the Packers
Rosen and Darnold declaring for the draft this week is good news for Packers fans, as both will be well off the board before Green Bay selects.
The Packers have significant needs across their roster, and a rush on quarterbacks at the top of the draft means players who may not have been available with the 14th pick may be available.
Last year, the draft broke almost perfectly for Green Bay. When the Packers were set to make their pick, linebacker T.J. Watt, cornerback Kevin King, linebacker Reuben Foster and running back Dalvin Cook were all available.
That allowed the Packers to trade down from 29 to 33, and acquire an additional fourth-round pick in the process.
We don’t know who the next general manager of the Packers will be, but they’ll have a real chance at a game-changing prospect with the 14th pick of the draft.