NFL Draft review (Day 1): The NFL does the best the can under the circumstances, drama in Green Bay?
For obvious reasons, the 2020 NFL Draft was going to be a memorable one. For the first time in a long time, there would be no fans and for the first time ever there was no central location for each team to make their picks.
Then came the actual draft and despite all of the awkward delays on comments from analysts, I really do think the NFL and its broadcast partners ESPN/ABC and the NFL Network did a fantastic job. When given the setting and backdrop the nation faced as millions of fans tuned in, you couldn’t have asked for a more smoothly run program.
Here are some thoughts on the night’s events and some things that stood out from picks to how the production was run. For those who missed it, here’s a look at the draft results from last night.
As close as you can to the real thing
It is hard to simulate a draft that’s done from basements, living rooms and studios around the country. Especially when it is normally held in an arena or massive venue. However, the NFL found a way to create some type of normalcy with the event. From Harry Connick Jr. singing the national anthem to a moment of silence for the victims of the coronavirus. The league is used to pomp and circumstance so even scaled back, they found a way to make the event feel like an event.
A little too heavy on the trauma hurt the flow of the night at times
Journalists are storytellers, each of these 32 draft picks on Thursday night each have a fascinating story on their journey to the NFL. However, at times it got very uncomfortable when you would transition from the announcement of a pick to a back story on the childhood trauma of a particular athlete.
One case that stood out to me was Jordan Love, the quarterback selected by the Green Bay Packers. While discussing the obvious elephant in the room regarding he and Aaron Rodgers (more on that later), came the discussion of his father’s suicide when he was 14. It was a very awkward transition that ESPN’s Trey Wingo was visibly uncomfortable covering. That was one of just a few cases where the pick-college career-trauma story made things tough to watch at times.
I do understand that stories need to be told, but given the backdrop and downtrodden climate of the nation at this present time fans didn’t need to hear about too much trauma. Especially when this is supposed to be an escape from our reality.
Green Bay’s 1st Round pick becomes major story of the offseason
Frankly, if you were to tell me that the Green Bay Packers were to take a QB in the NFL Draft I would have believed you. Instead of getting it in the third or fourth round it was in the first and now we’ve got major drama brewing in Wisconsin.
The Packers pick in the first round of Utah State’s Jordan Love signals that Green Bay’s front office is ready to transition from Aaron Rodgers to Love. This is almost the same way Rodgers was brought in to replace Brett Favre.
2005-Aaron Rodgers stunningly falls to the No. 24 spot and is picked by the Packers. Rodgers now takes the role of backing up Favre who was 35 entering the 2005 season.
2020-Jordan Love drafted at No. 26 and will play backup to Aaron Rodgers who is 36.
Like previously stated, replacing Rodgers makes sense. It had to be done within the next year given his age. Rodgers has thrown for over 4,000 yards in three of the last four seasons, but he’s without some of the guys who made him who he was. Does Green Bay believe their championship window has closed and now you want to make the transition under center? Maybe the most alarming thing in all of this is that Packers GM Brian Gutekunst has said he and Rodgers have not spoken.
Nope, that’s not gonna be an awkward conversation at all.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
