Jordan Love Rumors: Packers Tried to Trade Up with Vikings Before Taking QB

The Green Bay Packers were reportedly especially aggressive before picking quarterback Jordan Love with the No. 26 pick in the 2020 NFL draft. 

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the team tried making a trade with division rival Minnesota Vikings, which held the No. 22 and No. 25 picks in the first round.

Green Bay began Thursday with the No. 30 pick but eventually traded with the Miami Dolphins for the 26th pick and the right to draft Love.

According to Peter King of NBC Sports, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said he wasn't planning to target a quarterback and expected Love to go off the board in the teens. The mindset changed when the Utah State quarterback fell into the 20s.

Gutekunst made a decision to trade up when he heard another team was trying to move up from the second round to take him, per King.

The fit is an interesting one considering Aaron Rodgers earned his eighth Pro Bowl selection in 2019 while leading the team to a 13-3 record. Even at 36 years old, the veteran appears likely to remain the starter for several more years and is under contract through 2023.

This will likely prevent Love from making an impact in his first few seasons, but the Packers showed a lot of faith in the quarterback's upside through their actions in the draft. 

Meanwhile, Minnesota was willing to trade back and eventually dealt the No. 25 pick to the San Francisco 49ers, who selected receiver Brandon Aiyuk. However, it seems dealing to a division rival was a bridge too far.