Penn State's Sean Clifford finds a good fit with Green Bay Packers
One of the biggest surprises on the final day of the 2023 NFL Draft was quarterback Sean Clifford going in the fifth round. The sixth-year quarterback went to the Green Bay Packers with the 149th pick despite not receiving an NFL Combine invite.
So, why? What do the Packers see in Clifford for a player that most evaluators had as a seventh-round selection at best? First, let’s look at the team’s offensive system to see Clifford’s new situation.
Clifford will be surrounded by talent and a dominant run game
First, former first-round pick Jordan Love, who is three-and-a-half months younger than Clifford, is the likely starter. Second, Penn State’s four-year starter is joining the team as a backup and not likely a competitor for the starting job.
But, the offensive situation around him is favorable if pressed into duty. The Packers have had the NFL’s best overall rushing attack over the past three seasons, led by running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Head coach and offensive mastermind Matt LaFleur is yet another Shanahan disciple. The team has used play-action and motion at a top-ten rate in the NFL over the last three years.
So, if Clifford were to play, his pre-snap skills to get the team into the proper run fronts would be very valuable. In addition, his game-week preparation and diagnostic skills would fold well into an offense that takes care of the heavy lifting after the snap.
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Penn State’s quarterback can point and shoot in this offense
For Clifford, those are where the issues start. But play-action, motion, and RPO plays open bigger windows and give more well-defined reads for the quarterback. If all things go to plan, Clifford can find and hit his targets accurately and quickly. His arm strength, while not elite, is good enough to make most throws in the NFL.
Moreover, when healthy, Green Bay’s offensive line is excellent. According to PFF, the Packer’s offensive line has been top-ten in pass-blocking efficiency for the last three seasons, including a top-two ranking in two seasons. To translate that, the Packers throw a moderate amount of time and protect well when they throw it.
So, it’s a good situation in our theoretical case where Clifford takes the reigns of the Packer’s offense. The offense, designed to take pressure off the quarterback, can help elevate Clifford by using play action and motion to create more accessible, defined throws. His smarts and blackboard football intelligence will help him understand the offense and get the team into good plays. When you look at it through this lens, it’s less of a surprise that the Packers wanted to bring Clifford on board, even if when they chose to do it was.
