Green Bay Packers' 2020 NFL draft analysis for every pick 
Rob Demovsky
ESPN Staff Writer

The 2020 NFL draft is underway, and the Green Bay Packers' rookie class is shaping up.

The draft, which had been scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, is instead being done virtually from the homes of coaches, general managers and other front office staff because of the coronavirus pandemic. The draft began on Thursday with the first round and continues Friday (7 p.m. ET) with the second and third rounds and Saturday (noon ET) with rounds 4-7 on ABC, ESPN, ESPN App and NFL Network.

Here's a pick-by-pick look at how each player the Packers have selected will fit.

Round 1, No. 26 overall: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

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By taking Jordan Love in the first round, the Packers get the option of a fifth-year deal on his rookie contract.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski

My take: Can't wait to see how Aaron Rodgers handles this. He was on the other end of it when he came into the league in 2005 as the Packers' first-round pick and with Brett Favre still years away from retirement (although unlike Rodgers, Favre had already begun to think about it, so the Packers had to start planning for it). The 36-year-old Rodgers, however, has made it clear he intends to play to age 40 -- and perhaps beyond. He's under contract through 2023 and said last month on the Pat McAfee show: "I've got four years left on my deal. I'd like to play four at a really, really high level, and if I feel like keep on keeping on from that point, to do it. I feel confident right now. I'm going to be 40 when the deal ends. I feel like I can keep going after that the way things have been going." At this point in Favre's career, he wanted players who would help him win. He gave Rodgers the cold shoulder, especially as a rookie. Will Rodgers do the same to Love? Everyone knows that Rodgers has always played with a chip on his shoulder and this might be just another one. What's more, by taking Love in the first round, the Packers get the option of a fifth-year deal on Love's rookie contract.

Another trade: General manager Brian Gutekunst didn't just take Rodgers' eventual replacement, he traded up to do it. A source said that Gutekunst might trade up to take LSU receiver Justin Jefferson, a player he loved, but Jefferson went No. 22 to the Vikings. But the thought was that if he took a quarterback, it would be one that fell to him at No. 30. Instead, he traded a fourth-round pick to the Dolphins to move up four spots. It's the third straight year (and fourth time overall) that the third-year GM has made a trade in the first round.

Why the love for Love: One thing you need to play quarterback in Green Bay is a strong arm. Favre had a rocket, and Rodgers developed one. Love fits in. Big hands don't hurt either, and Love's measured 10.5 inches at the combine. That's always good for cold-weather games. He's got more Favre in him than Rodgers in that he's more prone to interceptions than the ultra-accurate and more conservative Rodgers. Love threw an alarming 17 interceptions last season after a much more efficient 2018 season (32 TDs and only six INTs). At 6-foot-3 ¾ and 224 pounds, he's got the right build, but he's also more mobile than one might think, running a 4.74 40 at the combine.

What's next: If this is indeed the deepest receiver class in recent history -- and maybe ever -- then the Packers should be able to appease Rodgers and get one (if not more) on Day 2 of the draft, although it will be interesting to see if Gutekunst feels like he has to trade up from his spot near the end of the second round (No. 62 overall) to get one.

Rob Demovsky wrote:

26. Packers, QB Jordan Love, Utah State
Grade: D. Terrible move by the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers told me last summer he wants to play until he's 40. They needed a receiver. They needed defensive help. Sitting behind Rodgers will do Love well, but not going to do the Packers well. You're on the cusp of getting to a Super Bowl, get Rodgers some help.

Pete Prisco wrote:

26) Green Bay Packers (from Dolphins): QB Jordan Love, Utah State — Fascinating move, but not that stunning. The cost for the Packers to move up wasn't high, and our 31st overall prospect – now a potential heir to Aaron Rodgers – is an extremely gifted (though flawed) passer who could develop into the best quarterback in this class. Grade: B-.

Eric Edholm wrote:

Green Bay Packers

Draft pick: Utah State QB Jordan Love (No. 26 overall)

Day 1 grade and analysis: A-
I thought Jordan Love was worth a first-round selection. The Packers did as well. In a mirror reflection of the 2005 draft, the Packers pick a first-round quarterback to learn behind Aaron Rodgers, just as they picked Rodgers to groom behind Brett Favre.

I believe Rodgers has at least a few more years of high-level performance in him -- should they have selected someone to help Rodgers excel during that time? Some Packers fans will think so. However, Love could help Green Bay win games over that span if Rodgers gets hurt again. Plus, there wasn't great value at receiver at the end of the first round; I expect the Packers to meet that need in Rounds 2 or 3 in a deep class. They also have needs at linebacker (Patrick Queen was available at No. 26), cornerback (same goes for Jaylon Johnson and Kristian Fulton) and right tackle (Josh Jones), but the players remaining at those spots did not offer as much value as Love. The Packers expect to pick near the end of the first with Rodgers as their QB1, so they figured they would get their guy while they could. They found value at the game's most important position.

They gave up the 30th pick in Round 1 and a fourth-round pick (No. 136) to get Love, which is standard fare for this type of move.

Chad Reuter wrote:

Round 2, No. 62 overall: AJ Dillon, RB, Boston College

My take: Is Brian Gutekunst trying to get rid of both Aarons in one draft? After drafting Aaron Rodgers' likely eventual replacement in the first round, the Packers GM gave himself some insurance in case Aaron Jones prices himself out of Green Bay next year. If Jones is anything close to as productive as he was in 2019, he'll be in line for bigger money than the Packers may be willing to pay a running back in free agency. But for now, it's an intriguing combination of the explosiveness of Jones and the pure power of Dillon. Coach Matt LaFleur may have had Derrick Henry in mind when he and Gutekunst discussed the mammoth 6-foot, 247-pounder. LaFleur relied heavily on Henry during his one year as the Titans' play caller before he became the Packers head coach. Dillon is a yards-after-contact back who might be built for the inside-zone runs that LaFleur used so often last year. Despite being the heaviest back at the combine, he also posted the highest vertical jump (41 inches).

Rob Demovsky wrote:

62. Packers: RB AJ Dillon, Boston College
Grade: C+. Explosive train. Insane contact balance. Just enough wiggle to make one defender miss on a run. Running style could shorten his NFL career. Maybe Aaron Jones insurance?

Chris Trapasso  wrote:

AJ DILLON 
BOSTON COLLEGE RB
Round 2 • Pick 30 (62)
The Packers grab a big, bruising RB with a downhill running style that meshes well with the team's zone scheme. Dillon is an old-school workhorse with a rugged game that adds a different dimension to the Packers' offense.

Round 3, No. 94 overall: Josiah Deguara, TE, Cincinnati

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In picking Josiah Deguara, the Packers have drafted a tight end in the third round for the second straight year.
Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire

My take: This draft is taking on a Matt LaFleur feel, and picking a combination tight end/H-back this high -- coupled with a power runner in AJ Dillon a round earlier -- could signify a shift in how the Packers operate on offense. Rather than relying on a three-wide spread system so much, perhaps LaFleur truly values running backs and tight end more than a massive stable of receivers. It's the second straight year the Packers have taken a tight end in the third round and with the Jimmy Graham experiment finally and mercifully ended, they can get younger with second-year pro Jace Sternberger and Deguara at the position. They still have one veteran, Marcedes Lewis, and the promising-but-oft-injured Robert Tonyan. Deguara was the third tight end off the board in a historically weak tight end class. The Packers made a run at Austin Hooper in free agency, but it got too experience so it probably should not come as a surprise they added to this position in the draft.

What's next: They have to draft a receiver at some point, right? Unless Gutekunst trades up, he'll have sit out the fourth round after using that pick to move up in the first round to take Jordan Love. As things stand heading into the final day, he has six picks but none before No. 175 overall (fifth round). He has three in the sixth (192, 208 and 209) plus two in the seventh (236, 242). Even if Gutekunst uses that fifth-rounder on a receiver, he will have gone three drafts without taking a receiver in one of the first three rounds. To this point, the only noteworthy addition to that group was low-cost receiver Devin Funchess ($2.5 million) late in free agency.

Rob Demovsky wrote:

94. Packers: TE Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati 
Grade: C-. Hard-working H-back type who had flashes of athleticism as a receiver. Some blocking prowess. But nothing spectacular about his game.

Chris Trapasso wrote:

Green Bay Packers: Josiah Deguara
Round 3 - Pick 30
TE Cincinnati

Draft Grade: D+
Pre-Draft Rank: 213
School: Cincinnati
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 242

Eric Edholm's Commentary
I’m a big fan of Deguara the college football player, and he might prove to be a useful piece in the NFL, but this feels a couple rounds too early. He’s an undersized tight end who really projects to an H-back or fullback role. Deguara is a good receiver and will be a core member of the Packers’ special teams units. He’ll inspire with his effort and be willing to wear any hat ... but does that read Round 3?

Eric Edholm wrote:

JOSIAH DEGUARA 
CINCINNATI TE
Round 3 • Pick 30 (94)

The Packers needed a tight end with athleticism to add some flexibility to their "12" personnel packages. Deguara is a crafty route runner with soft hands and a knack for getting open.

I don't mind any of the guys they picked, I simply the question the valiue, i.e. did they optimize the pick slots? Could they have traded up/back and gotten guys later. For example, nothing against the Cincinnati kid, but could we have hopped ahead of the Bears and gotten the Notre Dame Tight End? I think the BC running back would have been there in the 3rd round.

As I have harped upon in the past, and others have said over the last 2 days, we don't have the horses in the trenches to compete with the elite teams, esp SF and, on a comparative basis, that certainly didn't get any better.

Originally Posted by: KRK 

I can't speak about other organizations but it seems like GB has a habit of jumping a few rounds too early for the guys they like. It typically doesn't pan out.I wish they would have waited to get Dillon and Deguara.

Originally Posted by: wpr