GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It would be a stunner considering Aaron Rodgers is their starter and will be for years to come, but the Green Bay Packers may be considering a quarterback with the first pick on Day 2 of the NFL draft.
DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame has been discussed as a possible selection for the Packers, sources said, confirming what the NFL Network reported Friday.
At first glance, that would seem like an odd choice for general manager Ted Thompson at No. 33 overall -- a pick he acquired from the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night after he traded out of the first round.
If Thompson stands pat and picks at that spot, a quarterback would seem like an unlikely choice. He has a 33-year-old Rodgers who’s at or near the top of his game. He has a backup in Brett Hundley who the Packers coaches think can win games if needed and has two more years left on his contract, although the former fifth-round pick likely will be traded away for a higher pick before his contract ends. Unless, of course, a quarterback-needy team like the Browns wants to trade for Hundley right now, which would leave a void behind Rodgers.
Even if the Packers picked Kizer with the intent to develop and trade him, it might be difficult to get something better than the 33rd overall pick that they would use on him.
Thursday’s trade out of the No. 29 overall pick in the first round put Thompson in control of the second day of the draft. He spoke openly about the possibility of another trade back when he said he would accept offers, and it wouldn’t hurt trade talks if a team that wants a quarterback thought the Packers might take Kizer.
Only three quarterbacks were picked in the first round, and there are certainly a few teams who might want Kizer -- the Jaguars at No. 35 and the Jets at No. 39 among them -- lined up right behind the Packers.
If need is a deciding factor, then Thompson won’t take Kizer to start the second round. He passed on a host of defensive players in the first round, and many of the top logical choices are still on the board.
The Packers also could take a running back in this spot; Florida State’s Dalvin Cook or even Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon might make more sense than Kizer. And there’s also the top interior offensive lineman still on the board in Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp, who could be a long-term replacement for departed Pro Bowl guard T.J. Lang.