Matt LaFleur eyes raw potential. Taylen Green, a seventh-round flyer with a big arm and running ability, could be the Green Bay Packers' next developmental QB gem.
The Green Bay Packers head into this 2026 offseason knowing that they're going to need to replace backup quarterback Malik Willis.
Jordan Love is "the guy" in Green Bay, but Willis has proven to be a capable NFL starter in his limited opportunities as a backup.
Some team — perhaps the Miami Dolphins, now that they have Jeff Hafley — will take a shot on Willis as a starter, and that team will pay him far more than Green Bay will be willing to pay a backup quarterback.
What that means is it's time to say "thanks for the memories, Malik," while starting, in earnest, to find the next stud backup quarterback.
LaFleur isn't perfect as a head coach. Heck, many fans wanted him fired after the 2025 season ended. He is known as one heck of a quarterback guru, though, and Willis' development in Green Bay is proof of that. Of course, there's also the back-to-back MVP awards Aaron Rodgers won under LaFleur's watch and the fact that Love has actually become the team's third-straight franchise quarterback.
What LaFLeur was able to do with Willis was a thing of beauty, though. He took Willis from a player the Tennessee Titans were willing to give away for a seventh-round pick and turned him into a player that some NFL team is going to pay millions for.
So why not do it again with a seventh-rounder, but this time, the Packers could draft the player themselves?
Green Bay Packers should target Arkansas Razorbacks QB Taylen Green late in 2026 NFL Draft
Oct 18, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) rushes in the second quarter as Texas A&M Aggies defensive tackle Dealyn Evans (55) attempts a tackle at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images.That's what Matt Schneidman of The Athletic is predicting in a recent NFL Mock Draft. In Round 7, he can see the Packers taking a flyer on Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst was recently at the Senior Bowl and he was able to take in Green's performance. Dane Brugler of The Athletic also took in Green's performances in Mobile, Alabama, and he told Schneidman the following regarding the Arkansas quarterback:
“Green was a tad too eager to drop his eyes and run with the football during practice, but he uncorked some moon shots during the week that showed off his arm. He will be an interesting Day 3 (rounds 4-7) developmental option for a team.”
Green is the type of quarterback prospect that the Packers covet. He has raw athleticism, a nice arm, and he can run with the football and be a home-run threat when he gets a lane.
Sound familiar? That's basically a description of Willis.
It's uncanny:
Gutekunst's last two developmental quarterbacks, Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt, didn't work out. In Green, though, the Packers could draft a quarterback who fits the prototype as a backup in LaFleur's system.
At the end of the day, it's a seventh-round draft pick. Green could be worth the shot.
This past season at Arkansas, he threw for 2,714 yards and 19 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions. He also rushed 139 times for 777 yards and eight touchdowns.
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