Controversial quarterback could tempt the Packers in the supplemental draft after massive development, but the price needs to be right
Brendan Sorsby declared for the NFL, and it’s a complicated process now. The Packers have the draft capital, but willingness isn’t as clear.
A 6-3, 235-pound quarterback. Arm strength and velocity, athletic ability, strong college production and essentially three years of starting experience. A quick overview indicates that Brendan Sorsby has everything the Green Bay Packers tend to look for when scouting a quarterback.
But the decision to pursue him or not in the NFL Supplemental Draft isn’t as easy. Sorsby is going to the pros because he placed tens of thousands of dollars in bets throughout his college career, including bets against his own team at Indiana before transferring to Cincinnati.
The quarterback won his eligibility back on court, but decided to go to the NFL anyway. Now, the Packers have to consider all scenarios.
Search for a quarterback
The Packers are not necessarily avid to take a quarterback. The starter is Jordan Love and that’s won’t change. The team signed veteran Tyrod Taylor as a backup. Getting a new passer would have developmental and long-term purposes.
“We’re always looking to add to that room,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said before the draft. “It’s the most important position of all professional sports, probably the hardest. So we evaluate that position every year very thoroughly. There are some good players in this draft. If we have an opportunity to add to that room, we will.”
The Packers ended up not taking any quarterback in the draft, though. They considered signing LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier in undrafted free agency, but the Kansas City Chiefs took him in the seventh round, so Green Bay signed Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones instead.
“I’m excited about the competition in that room, and we’ll see if we add to it along the way,” Gutekunst said after the draft, but before adding Taylor. “But it’s a really important thing for us. Jordan [Love] in the last two years has missed some time, and we’ve needed somebody to come in there and play at a high level to help win those games. So whoever’s called upon, we’re going to expect that.”
Draft capital
The supplemental draft is a little bit different from the original draft. The league advances round by round waiting for bids. The higher bid takes the player. If two or more teams send a bid in the same round, the team with the higher priority gets the prospect.
And if a team gets the player with, let’s say, a third-round pick, it won’t have that third-round pick in next year’s regular draft.
The Packers don’t have first- and sixth-round picks next year after trading for Micah Parsons and Darian Kinnard last offseason. They are projected to get some compensatory picks, but they are not official yet. Theoretically, Green Bay could invest anything from a second- to a fifth-rounder, or a seventh.
It’s unlikely that Gutekunst would want to part ways with a second in a strong class. But if Sorsby starts falling, a fourth- or fifth-rounder could be more realistic.
Ultimately, it depends on how the Packers’ scouting department sees Sorsby in terms of character. And considering where Green Bay is at the quarterback position, it’s likely that someone else will be more inclined to take the risk.