Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty is ranked third at his position heading into the 2015 NFL Draft behind only Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Could he be the long-term replacement for the league's reigning MVP?
It looks like the Green Bay Packers could be following their previous formula by which they transitioned from future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre. Aaron Rodgers was the 25th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft but served as a backup behind Favre for his first three seasons in the league. He finally earned the starting job after Favre announced his retirement in 2008.
General manager Ted Thompson may have the same idea in mind with Petty.
"The Green Bay Packers will host Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty for a predraft visit, a source told Packer Report on Thursday morning," according to Bill Huber of Scout.com.
"The news is incredibly interesting on many levels. Even in a weak quarterback class, the Packers are expected to select a quarterback after doing so in only one of the past six drafts. However, Petty is considered a second-day prospect, so Green Bay's interest suggests it's not fooling around in its pursuit of upgrading its quarterback corps."
The Packers haven't selected a quarterback within the first five rounds since taking Rodgers in 2005, but it looks like they may break that streak with Petty. The Baylor product was incredibly successful during his junior and senior seasons finishing with a 21-4 record and passing for a total of 8,055 yards, 61 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions while maintaining completion percentage of 62.5%. However, according to his draft profile, scouts are "concerned he could be the product of Baylor's one-read system."
But perhaps it's a good idea for Green Bay to consider Petty since scouts also commended his size, arm, accuracy and intangibles. On AFC West scout noted a quarterback of Petty's type needs "redshirt years in the league," which he'd be guaranteed to get plenty of because Rodgers still has a lot left in the tank for the foreseeable future.
If Petty can work under the tutelage of Rodgers for a number of seasons, the Packers would be putting themselves in a good position to move on once the 32-year-old is nearing the end of his time.
After all, earlier in the offseason it was speculated the Dallas Cowboys might take Petty and work him in to succeed Tony Romo, who is turning 35 this year. The same could go for Green Bay.
