The Green Bay Packers had an abundance of picks on day 3 of the NFL Draft so it’s no surprise that they added to their quarterback room after trading away Aaron Rodgers. Clifford will help shore up what was a somewhat lonesome group of two QBs.
Analysis
Penn State QB Sean Clifford had a relatively impressive collegiate career, despite never looking like an incredibly talented passer. What Clifford does do well are the intangibles, he has knowledge about the responsibilities of a QB, and he has the leadership traits that you want in your QB room.
At 6’2″ and 210 pounds, he’s built like a prototypical pocket passer but he actually had some very solid mobility during his collegiate career. He can throw on the move almost as well as he can throw in the pocket, but he does tend to miss short if he misses throws.
Clifford most recently threw for 2,822 yards, 24 TDs, and 7 INTs. He had fairly solid production and never turned the ball over more than you’d be comfortable with. This is exactly the kind of QB the Packers need in a backup position behind Jordan Love.
Team Fit
There’s not much to say here, Clifford will serve as a highly competent backup for Jordan Love for potentially years to come. With Danny Etling being the only other backup, Clifford might spring up to the QB2 spot after training camp.
At 24 years old and with 4 years of experience as a starter in college, Clifford looks to be capable of being a poised and knowledgable backup. It is, however, ultimately good that Clifford won’t be immediately needing to take any snaps as a starter in the NFL. With that said his athletic traits do admittedly make him a sensible choice for the Packers. Many believe Green Bay would have been able to secure Clifford later in the day, but maybe the team knows something that we all don’t.
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Zack is a college student and cheesehead from California. When he’s not in class or writing, you can find him talking about the Packers on Twitter at @Zack_Upchurch.
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