Taylen Green In Green Bay Fits the Packers’ QB Draft Philosophy

With Malik Willis a foregone conclusion to cash in somewhere else this offseason, the Green Bay Packers could be looking for their next quarterback project to back up Jordan Love. Arkansas' Taylen Green might be the perfect fit.

Brian Gutekunst has never been shy about his philosophy on the quarterback position. He's mentioned throughout the years, including at the NFL Combine two years ago, that he'd like to get back to drafting quarterbacks constantly.

Green Bay has its quarterback for the future. Love isn't going anywhere and has developed into a damn good QB who continues to get better three years into taking over the starting gig. It's obvious but important to note because, if Gutekunst wants to get a quarterback in the draft with Willis departing, it won't be with an early selection.

Green is projected to be a Day 3 pick; almost every mock draft that has him getting selected sees a sixth- or seventh-round pick as the likely outcome.

From that perspective, Green Bay would be a potential fit. It doesn't stop there, though.

NFL Next Gen Stats projects Green will rank second among all quarterbacks at the NFL Combine in the athleticism score department. That will catch Green Bay's attention. They get excited anytime a freak athlete falls to them in the draft. Green's 6’6”, 230 lb. frame speaks for itself.

Green is a true dual threat, just like Willis. He's not a top prospect like Willis, who the Tennessee Titans drafted in the third round of the 2022 draft. There are good reasons Green is projected to be a back-end selection, but the Packers aren't looking for a proven starter. They're looking for the next diamond in the rough who they can develop into a solid backup or potential trade capital.

According to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, Green would check a lot of those boxes.

Green is a project for whoever drafts him, but a project with a ton of upside.

The philosophy of regularly drafting quarterbacks even when you have a long-term starter isn’t unique to the Gutekunst era. The Packers have practiced and preached this for years — decades, even. They didn't need to draft Aaron Rodgers in 2005; they still had Brett Favre. They didn't need to draft Love in 2020; they had Rodgers in MVP form! It's a long-term organizational strategy.

The Miami Dolphins hired Jon-Eric Sullivan, who had been with the Packers since 2004. He put it perfectly in his introductory presser with Miami in January.

Gutekunst has carried that along. The selection of Love in 2020 — and trading up to do so, no less — was not popular by any stretch of the imagination. But it was what he deemed best for the Packers at the time. Sullivan said Thompson instilled that mindset in everyone who worked for the Packers for years.

This situation is a tad different. Favre was still playing great football, but was on the back nine of his career when the Packers drafted Rodgers. The same can be said for where Rodgers was in his career when they drafted Love. Love is just now entering his prime, but the same mindset remains valid.

Given Green's frame, his strengths as an athletic dual threat, and many of the raw traits he possesses, he could be a perfect fit for Green Bay.