Packers 2023 Rookie Preview: QB Sean Clifford, 149th overall pick

The Green Bay Packers needed a veteran backup quarterback behind Jordan Love, but drafting Sean Clifford in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft isn’t exactly what fans had in mind.

Clifford is expected to take over QB2 duties in Green Bay after the team seemingly reached for the sixth-year senior out of Penn State. Despite being ranked 423rd on the consensus big board, Clifford ended up going in the first 150 picks of this year’s draft. Despite heading into his rookie season, Clifford will be older as a rookie (25 years old) than Love (24). The Packers must have seen something out of Clifford that they liked, perhaps during his top-30 visit in Green Bay.

Acme Packing Company’s Tyler Brooke dove into the film to see why the Packers reached for the former Nittany Lions quarterback, and came away a bit more optimistic than he was initially.

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0:20 - Intro
1:00 - Sean Clifford bio/background
2:19 -Clifford’s strengths
10:09 - Clifford’s weaknesses/areas of improvement
15:00 - Outro

What immediately stands out on tape is Clifford’s autonomy in being able to run the offense. Whether it’s adjusting protections with the offensive line or checking into different plays, Clifford was given a real command of Penn State’s offense that college quarterbacks are rarely allowed to have.

Along with his understanding of the offense, Clifford’s athleticism makes him an intriguing backup quarterback option. Unfortunately, inconsistencies with his accuracy and hesitancy when going through his reads can get him in trouble more times than not, especially at the NFL level.

If everything goes according to plan, however, Clifford won’t have to see the field outside of garbage time any time soon.