Clifford's selection caps wild, successful NFL Draft for Lions

ALTOONA, Pa. -- All it takes is one team to like you in the NFL Draft. When that happens, anything is possible.

Anything, in this case, is referring to Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford getting picked in the fifth round Saturday by the Green Bay Packers.

To say it was shocking would be an understatement, given that Clifford wasn't considered one of the top 400 prospects available for the draft and wasn't expected to get picked at all.

But if you just want to feel good for a guy, all you need to see is Clifford's emotional reaction when he was taken with the 149th overall pick.

“I just felt like the coaching staff, the people there, the town, it just fit me really well and I’m really happy to be a Green Bay Packer,” Clifford told Packers reports on Zoom after getting picked.

“I think just all around it just felt like a really good fit, and when you have that kind of conversations you definitely have hopes, so I was really excited to see that name pop up on the phone. Really excited to help the team in any way possible.”

Clifford was one of six Penn State players selected in the draft, and there were a whole bunch of winners from the Nittany Lions' perspective. Not just players, either.

James Franklin came out a winner in this draft, as well.

Let's break it down.

WHY THE PACKERS PICKED CLIFFORD

It does make some sense, for this particular franchise with this particular quarterback.

The Packers are turning the page from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love, who has waited his turn since being a first-round pick in 2020. At 24 years old, Love is actually four months younger than Clifford, who will be an NFL rookie.

Clifford is NOT a threat to take away playing time from Love. The Packers didn't draft him so he would come in and compete for the starting job.

The Packers drafted Clifford because he's very smart, he's a great leader and he can come in and help Love continue to develop as a young quarterback. He can do all of that without Love feeling pressure that he will lose his job.

Clifford has a decent chance of being Green Bay's backup quarterback, depending on what the franchise does in terms of depth at the position. In that backup role, Clifford can learn on the job while also being a good teammate for Love.

They can feed off each other. And Clifford could indeed have an opportunity to get on the field if something happens to Love.

Clifford can do a lot of good things as a quarterback, even if he was maddeningly inconsistent at Penn State. But he also was always an excellent leader and teammate who played in a lot of big games for the Lions, and those are things the Packers surely found impressive.

Just about everyone expected Clifford to be an undrafted free agent. The Packers obviously saw more in him than that. But it is very peculiar that they took him when they did in the fifth round. It would seem likely that the team could have still gotten him with their selection 10 spots later at 159, or possibly even 30 picks later at 179. The Packers also had three picks in the seventh round and perhaps still could have gotten Clifford with one of those.

But for whatever reason, Green Bay felt like somebody else may have stepped up and taken Clifford in the meantime.

“I could not be prouder of Sean for earning this opportunity with the Green Bay Packers,” Franklin said in a university release. “It has been an honor to watch Sean grow into a man who exemplified our core values and what it meant to be a leader. His success was well documented, and his toughness, resilience and leadership will always be well respected. He has represented Penn State and our football program in the best light, which is a big reason why he was a four-year captain. I will always remember Sean for his ability to fight through adversity and lead by example. I am excited to see him chase his dreams in the NFL with the Packers.”

“Sean put together a lot of great moments throughout his career at Penn State, and I am thrilled he will get the chance to do more of the same at the next level with the Green Bay Packers,” offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said. “This is a guy who has fought through adversity time and time again, but with the toughness and leadership he brought to our team, he always found a way to overcome it. Sean is dedicated and works his tail off all the time at practice, and that’s why he improved as a quarterback throughout his time here. I am looking forward to seeing where Sean’s professional career takes him.”

QB SHUFFLE GOOD FOR FRANKLIN

Franklin had a very, very good NFL Draft when it came to quarterbacks.

Let's face it, had Will Levis been picked in the top five, there would have always been some level of criticism aimed at Franklin for letting a top-five talent leave while picking Clifford instead.

Aha, but with Levis slipping out of the first round and Clifford going in the fifth round, it doesn't look nearly as odd now.

Hey, Clifford went 11-2 and won a Rose Bowl his final year with the Lions, and there's little chance Levis would have done any better. So really, the "I can't believe you let this guy walk and chose Clifford" debate ended a while back.

Still, if Levis had gone in the top five and Clifford had gone undrafted, it would have looked weird.

Not so much anymore.

While it's easy -- and always has been easy -- to say that Levis was vastly overrated and never deserved to go in the top five or 10 anyway, it was still tough to watch things play out for the young man Thursday night as he plummeted out of the first round.

Then the whole world piled on him that night and all day Friday before the second round. Levis will have to regroup now and find a way to use the draft slide as motivation to prove everyone wrong.

BAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS FOR JPJ

Sure, Joey Porter Jr. fell out of the first round, which probably cost him in the neighborhood of $3 million on his initial contract, but he landed in a tremendous situation going to the Steelers with the first pick of the second round (32nd overall). Everybody knows the story that his dad played and coached for the Steelers, and they needed a cornerback.

Penn State still has never had a defensive back drafted in the first round -- Kalen King could have a chance to be the first next year -- and it's stunning that Porter fell out of the first round. Regardless, this was a win-win for everyone involved.

Porter is the 29th Penn State player selected by the Steelers all-time, the most of any NFL team for the Lions.

"We are so proud of Joey for being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers," Franklin said. "He will be a great fit for the Steelers organization. With an impressive combination of length, athleticism and speed, Joey has all the tools to be a dominant cornerback at the next level. Joey will learn and grow quickly into a very productive player for the Steelers. Joey played at an elite level which led to him being an All-American. He is a smart football player who made some huge plays in key moments of big games for us. We have been extremely fortunate to have a player like Joey represent our program and we wish him nothing but the best in the NFL.”

Check here for our extensive coverage of Porter going to the Steelers.

OTHER DRAFT PICKS

A look at the four other Penn State players who were drafted:

• TE Brenton Strange -- 2nd round, 61st overall to Jaguars: He went earlier than expected and was one of four Lions taken in the second round. He's the 21st Penn State tight end taken in the draft.

Strange is an excellent all-around tight end, one who can block as well as catch the ball. In that regard, he's different from recent Penn State tight ends who were primarily receivers and weren't great blockers, such as Pat Freiermuth, Mike Gesicki and Jesse James.

“It has been a privilege for me to coach a tremendous player, but more importantly, a tremendous person in Brenton Strange,” co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Ty Howle said in a university release. “I am incredibly excited for this opportunity he is getting with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Brenton is the complete package as a tight end with his ability to block, run routes and make plays in the passing game and protect. He invested an incredible amount of time and effort into becoming a better player every day and made an impact on every member of our tight end room and their development. I am looking forward to following his NFL career.”

• OL Juice Scruggs -- 2nd round, 62nd overall to Texans: Penn Staters went back to back in the draft at 61 and 62. Scruggs is a great story and an easy guy to root for after all he's been through. He was involved in a bad car accident in 2019 and had to wear a back brace for eight months, putting his football career in jeopardy.

“I always had in my head I’m gonna be back on the field,” Scruggs said a couple of years ago. “That was always my mindset. It never crossed my mind that football was over for me.”

“Juice is a special player and extremely deserving of this opportunity with the Houston Texans,” Franklin said. “He embodies toughness and resilience. Juice battled through adversity and grew into a leader and anchor for our offensive line. He was determined and committed to leading the offensive line’s growth. Juice played at a high level this past season and took immense pride in the success of the entire room. We appreciate Juice’s commitment to our program and wish him nothing but the best in what will be a very successful NFL career.”

• S Ji'Ayir Brown -- 3rd round, 87th overall to 49ers: A highly respected and productive player for the Lions, he slid a little further than many expected but still found himself in a good situation with an excellent defense.

Former Penn State Kevin Givens, a defensive tackle, also is a member of the 49ers' defense.

“The San Francisco 49ers gained a tremendous athlete, teammate and leader,” Franklin said. “He is a special player because of his drive, competitiveness and willingness to sacrifice. Tig not only took advantage of every opportunity presented to him, but he learned and grew from every opportunity as well. He consistently put himself in positions to make big plays, finishing his career having a hand in 16 takeaways as a Nittany Lion. Tig led the locker room by example and was well respected by his teammates and staff. We have really enjoyed watching Tig develop as a player, leader and man since he joined our program. I couldn’t be happier for him, and I look forward to watching him continue to grow as a player at the next level.”

• WR Parker Washington -- 6th round, 185th overall to Jaguars: We wondered before the draft if Washington's gamble turning pro after an injury would pay off, and in slipping to the sixth round, it undoubtedly opens up a lot of questions about his decision.

Washington missed the final two regular-season games and then the Rose Bowl with an ankle injury, which made him unavailable to work out for teams before the draft. While considered a potential third-round pick late in the 2022 season, going in the sixth round has to be disappointing for him.

“The Jacksonville Jaguars just selected a really talented player in Parker Washington,” Yurcich said. “Parker just has that supernatural ability to get open which will bode well for him in the NFL. He can get open in a lot of ways, whether it is in man coverage where he is able to use his skill and athleticism to create the separation, or being able to land into certain zones because of his ability to understand coverages. He made some unprecedented catches in big moments that helped our offense this past season. I wish him the best with the Jaguars.”