Jordan Love’s name keeps getting treated like an afterthought, and the latest ranking only added to the noise around the Packers quarterback.
CBS Sports recently ranked all the first-round picks made since the 2020 offseason, and Love landed fifth. He was placed behind Drake Maye, Justin Jefferson, and JSN, a result that once again sparked the familiar debate about how much respect he’s actually getting.
From a team standpoint, the list was framed that way for a reason, but it still leaves plenty of room to argue Love should be higher. His impact at quarterback matters more than what receivers bring, and he also brings a clear experience edge over Maye.
Maye’s case comes with its own context. He reached the Super Bowl in year one, but that alone doesn’t tell the whole story. He had one strong regular season, then went through two rough offensive performances in the playoffs and was just good enough in the Super Bowl to get blown out by the Seattle Seahawks.
That doesn’t mean Maye’s future isn’t bright. It does, though, underline why Love has a strong argument for a better spot in the ranking.
And this latest slight isn’t even the harshest one Green Bay has seen this offseason. ESPN’s league poll earlier in the offseason left Love outside the top ten entirely. That followed a pattern that has been building around him, even after a solid 2025 season and a strong playoff run that got buried under missed kicks and a surprising collapse.
The Packers are left with a quarterback who doesn’t have to search very hard for bulletin-board material. The hope is that Love takes the disrespect and turns it into fuel. Now he just has to go out and remind everyone who the best quarterback in the NFC North is.
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