Love Makes Former NFL GM’s 25-And-Under List But …

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Former NFL general manager Jeff Diamond’s list of the top 25 players who are 25 years old or younger shows the potential and peril for the Green Bay Packers.

Quarterback Jordan Love is No. 12 on Diamond’s rankings for The 33rd Team.

“After a shaky first half of the season, Love exploded with 18 touchdown passes and one interception as the Green Bay Packers went 6-2, earning a wild-card berth,” read part of Diamond’s summary.

“Then, Love passed for 272 yards and three touchdowns in a wild-card round blowout of the Cowboys in Dallas. He almost led an upset of the 49ers before falling in the divisional round.”

Having a hot-shot young passer should reopen the Packers’ championship window and potentially extend the Packers’ run of great quarterbacks into a fourth or even fifth decade.

However, the Packers aren’t the only team awash in outstanding young talent. While the Packers had only Love earn a spot on Diamond’s list, five Detroit Lions made the cut, “reflecting their significant improvement from a last-place team to Super Bowl contender.”

For the Lions, running back Jahmyr Gibbs is 24th, tight end Sam LaPorta is 20th, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is 11th, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is ninth and right tackle Penei Sewell is third.

So, at least in the eyes of one veteran talent evaluator, the Lions’ young talent is better than the Packers’ young talent. Moreover, with Goff just 29, it’s not as if the Lions’ quarterback is on the final holes of an 18-hole career. He should be capable of several more years of high-quality play.

Thus, there’s more work to do for the Packers to turn their Super Bowl talk into reality. A lot more work. However, the Packers boast a powerful group of young players, as well, so the future is within their grasp.

The Packers might not have a young receiver as good as St. Brown, but Dontayvion Wicks is 23, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed are 24 and Christian Watson is 25.

The Packers might not have a young tight end as good as LaPorta, but they’ve got Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, who are 23.

Sewell might be an All-Pro but 25-year-old Zach Tom is no slouch.

With back-to-back strong draft classes in 2022 and 2023 and five Top-100 picks in 2024, the youngest team in the NFL last season has plenty of young building blocks as they try to take the next steps.

“I think that’s one of the things that you’re always looking for from your team is just the energy, the effort, the camaraderie, the connection with each other,” coach Matt LaFleur said during OTAs. “I think all of that, I couldn’t be happier right now. But, ultimately, we know there’s going to be some adversity somewhere down the line. That’s the real test.

“Right now, it’s easy. Nobody’s lost a game. But I’ve been really pleased. I think we’ve made a lot of gains, too, in a lot of areas just in terms of when I look at some of these guys and the development of their bodies, the minds. So, I think we made a lot of growth.”

Love is one of four quarterbacks on Diamond’s list. He’s behind the 49ers’ Brock Purdy (sixth) and the Texans’ C.J. Stroud (seventh) but ahead of the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence (25th). It’s worth noting Lawrence’s contract extension with the Jags is worth $55 million per season, tied with the Bengals’ Joe Burrow for No. 1 in the NFL. That figure might be the target for Love in his forthcoming contract extension.

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