Scouts Ranked Quarterbacks for ESPN; Where’s Jordan Love?

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler polled scouts, coaches and personnel executives around the league to rank the top quarterbacks in the NFL. Not surprisingly, Green Bay Packers quarterback fell outside the top 10.

Love was one of two honorable mentions, which would make him No. 12 on the list.

Twelve months from now, Love could move into that top group.

“Another full offseason with [coach Matt] LaFleur and more receiving options and he'll be fine,” one evaluator told Fowler.

The arrow was pointed straight up for Love at this time last year. With seven 100-rating performances during the final eight games of the regular season, Love had an Aaron Rodgers-esque second half of the season to rally the Packers to the playoffs, then routed Dak Prescott and the Cowboys in the playoffs.

It all went awry, however, when Love suffered a knee injury during the final moments of the Week 1 loss to the Eagles. Love missed two games due to the injury and wasn’t himself for several more. Through his first seven games of the season, he had only one game with a 100 rating.

That came in a Week 6 victory over Arizona in which Love threw a season-high four touchdown passes. Two weeks later, he suffered a groin injury at Jacksonville.

Love started 15 games last season. He had only one of 275-plus yards.

While his completion percentage dipped a bit and his interception percentage soared, his yards per attempt rose from 7.2 to 8.0.

The key for any good quarterback is lifting those around him. Green Bay’s offense never got rolling last season due in part to the lack of a true No. 1 receiver. That stands in contrast to the Commanders under rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is No. 5 on the list.

“Single-handedly took one of the worst franchises to the NFC title game as a rookie with a bad defense, one legitimate wide receiver, a dinosaur at tight end [Zach Ertz] and average-at-best OL,” one coordinator told Fowler.

In the NFC North, Detroit’s Jared Goff is seventh. He is “one of the game’s best pure passers.”

Among the players Love is ahead of are the Cowboys’ Prescott, the 49ers’ Brock Purdy and the Steelers’ Rodgers.

Other than receiver, where the Packers almost certainly won’t have a top-10 player, Fowler’s rankings on offense are complete.

At running back, Josh Jacobs was sixth after a blockbuster debut season in which he finished sixth in the NFL in rushing in which he squeezed every inch out of every run. The Eagles’ Saquan Barkley was the obvious No. 1, the Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs is third and the Vikings’ Aaron Jones is an honorable mention.

“Elite balance, strength, vision, feet and determination with the ball in his hands,” one personnel executive told Fowler of Jacobs. “He catches it well. True difference-maker. And he plays every week. Availability. I tend to lean toward well-rounded backs that are elite runners and huge threats in the passing game, and Jacobs fits that bill.”

On the interior offensive line, new Packers center Elgton Jenkins is ninth. Only Bears left guard Joe Thuney, who was acquired from the Chiefs this offseason, is ahead of Jenkins in the division.

“The guy is so underrated,” an NFL coordinator said of Jenkins. “Can play anywhere, tough, physical, smart.”

Surprisingly, Packers right tackle Zach Tom didn’t crack the top 10 and wasn’t even an honorable mention at offensive tackle. In fact, he was the last player listed among others receiving votes. Among right tackles, Detroit’s Penei Sewell was No. 2 overall, Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson was No. 3 overall

At tight end, Tucker Kraft not only didn’t make the top 10 but wasn’t among seven honorable mentions. The Lions’ Sam LaPorta and the Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson are in the top 10, and the Bears’ Cole Kmet is an honorable mention.

The challenge for Green Bay this season is catching the Lions, who have the higher-ranked player at quarterback, running back, receiver and tight end.

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