Schefter: Packers' Matt LaFleur 'Would Mandate' Jordan Love Pick at Some Point

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was reportedly a major fan of Utah State quarterback Jordan Love heading into the 2020 NFL draft Thursday night.

ESPN's Adam Schefter provided further details about the LaFleur "mandate" concerning the Packers' selection with the No. 26 overall pick in the first round:

Green Bay's choice of a quarterback was one of the night's surprises since Aaron Rodgers, 36, is under contract through 2023 as part of his four-year, $134 million deal.

The Packers have long been constructed through the draft, however, and Rodgers himself was taken with the 24th overall pick in 2005 when Brett Favre was still entrenched as the team's starter.

A franchise quarterback is the biggest factor in making sure a team's championship window is open. Clearly LaFleur and the front office believe Love can immediately fill that crucial void whenever Rodgers' run with the team comes to an end.

"Being able to be in Green Bay and be behind Aaron Rodgers, that's one of the guys I grew up watching, learned how to do it from him," Love told reporters. "I would say that this is a really good situation to be in, not being thrown out there. I'm behind one of the great quarterbacks in the league. So just being able to sit behind him and learn, what's better than that?"

How Rodgers will react to the team's decision is a key question mark. He scoffed at the idea when it was raised during an appearance on ESPN Radio Milwaukee in March (via Aaron Nagler of Cheesehead TV).

"No matter who you bring in, they're not going to be able to beat me out anytime soon," he said.

The situation is complicated by the Packers' other needs on offense, led by wide receiver and tight end. Rodgers may not take kindly to drafting his eventual replacement rather than providing him with an instant-impact playmaker in the first round.

Love, who failed the build off his breakout 2018 campaign when he threw 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions last year, shouldn't be an imminent threat to the starting job. But his arm talent gives him the potential to become a major asset for the Packers in the years to come after some development time.

The mystery is when exactly that transition from Rodgers to Love is going to happen.