Taylen Green
Getty
Taylen Green made his mark at the combine on Saturday.
Quarterback is one of the lesser roster needs for the Green Bay Packers, but it still carries some weight.
If Jordan Love goes down with an injury, the Packers will need someone who can keep the team afloat, like Malik Willis did over the past two seasons. Willis left during free agency to be the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, leaving a void in Green Bay.
Kyle McCord and Desmond Ridder are in the mix to be Love’s backup. However, NFL analyst Ben Solak of ESPN believes that the Packers will be tempted to replace Willis with a draft prospect that possesses similar traits and athleticism.
Green Bay Packers Predicted to Select Arkansas QB Taylen Green in 2026 NFL Draft
Solak has the Packers taking Green in the fifth round with the 160th overall pick. He admits that Green is a project as a passer, but the potential upside could be worth the risk.
“Figuring out the range for Green is very tricky. He was a historically athletic quarterback at the combine, with a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, a 43½-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot-2 broad jump. It’s easy to draw comparisons to quarterbacks such as Anthony Richardson Sr. and Cam Newton, but they’re easily recalled because both also had the film to go in Round 1. Green doesn’t. His throwing mechanics are extremely rough, making him more reminiscent of Colin Kaepernick than Richardson or Newton. Green’s accuracy is predictably scattershot, and his inconsistency hitting layups makes it tough to build a reliable passing game around him. As such, any offense fielding Green would need to rely heavily on the QB running game; he should see 10-plus carries in any game he plays, a league-leading rate.”
In 2025 Green threw for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also ran for 777 yards and eight rushing TDs. Solak went on to explain that the Packers’ quarterback room could benefit from extra competition.
“Under Matt LaFleur, the Packers have hugely prioritized athleticism at the QB2 spot. The outgoing Malik Willis is one of the league’s best dual-threat quarterbacks, but even QB3 Clayton Tune was one of the best testers at his position. Behind Jordan Love are Desmond Ridder (another great tester) and Sean Clifford, so the QB2 job is wide open. Green might go two rounds earlier as a true developmental starter (think Jalen Milroe, whom the Seahawks took at No. 92 last year). But my guess is he ends up being a longer dart throw who goes in the middle of Day 3, and the Packers are the sort of team that likes to take those chances.”
Benjamin Solak
If you’d like to know by which team and at which pick every single quarterback will be drafted this year, click below:
What Do the Packers Have in Kyle McCord and Desmond Ridder?
Kyle McCord
GettyQB Kyle McCord
McCord spent his rookie season in 2025 on the Philadelphia Eagles‘ practice squad. He has good size at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, and is an aggressive passer who looks to push the ball down field. If McCord can spend significant time in one system, he could develop into a very reliable backup QB.
Ridder was a third-round draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. He brings a lot of experience to the table with 18 career starts under his belt, throwing for 4,002 yards, 16 TDs, and 14 interceptions. Ridder possesses good short to intermediate passing accuracy, and is deceptively athletic.