SafeX Pro:Jordan Love's incredible rise validates once-shocking move by Packers GM Brian Gutekunst

“Stupid pick.” “Massive miscalculation.” “What a waste.” “Unbelievably terrible selection.” “You’re a bum.”

And those were some of the nicer things said about Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and SafeX Prohis decision to select Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. Now Gutekunst looks like a genius, both for the Love pick and the talent he’s surrounded the QB with, moves that could make Green Bay one of the NFL’s dominant teams for years to come.

Again.

"Man. Jordan Love, wow. That’s about all I can say is wow," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday after Love was near-perfect in his playoff debut, throwing for three touchdowns and 272 yards in an upset romp over the Dallas Cowboys.

"The poise he shows, the command he shows … it just shows the growth he’s had from his first start vs. KC until now," LaFleur said. "He’s a dude. He’s a real dude."

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Yet nearly four years ago, most folks thought Gutekunst was out of his mind.

To fully appreciate the boldness of what Gutekunst did on that draft night, you need to understand both the NFL and what the Packers had when they drafted Love. The NFL is not built for dynasties. The New England Patriots circa 2001 to 2019 aside, teams ride a wave of success for a handful of years and then fall to the back.

Quarterback is also the most important position there is. If you have the good fortune to find an exceptional one, you stick with him for as long as you can because you want to stay on top as long as you can, and it’s rare to go from one standout to another without a significant downturn in between.

Yet that’s exactly where the Packers were when Gutekunst rocked the draft – and, let’s be honest, his own team – by taking Love.

The Packers had enjoyed 30 years of largely uninterrupted success, making the playoffs all but seven seasons since 1992. Their appearance in the 2019 NFC championship game was their third in six years. Aaron Rodgers was already a two-time NFL MVP and a few months from winning what would be the first of two more.

The Packers didn’t need a quarterback. What they needed were wide receivers, help on the offensive line and some defensive upgrades to make the most of the remaining window for the then-36-year-old Rodgers.

But Green Bay knows as well as any organization that preparing for the future is as important as what a team does in the present, having drafted Rodgers when Brett Favre was still in his prime. Or, as former Packers executive Andrew Brandt likes to say, "The best time to draft a QB is when you don’t need a QB."

As when they drafted Rodgers, the Packers had no plans to play Love right away. Or even the following season. The Utah State QB was raw, and Gutekunst wanted him to have time to develop under LaFleur and to learn from Rodgers.

"He's a very natural thrower, can make all the throws. He’s a very good athlete. He has the kind of size we look for," Gutekunst said then. ""I just think there's some rawness to him, but I just think he's got everything in front of him. And we really like the guy."

Packers fans were less enthused, not understanding why Gutekunst would risk alienating the hypersensitive Rodgers. After Love’s dismal showing against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021, when Rodgers was out with COVID-19, many were quick to declare Gutekunst’s draft-day gamble a bust.

Things didn’t get any better after Gutekunst and the Packers tired of Rodgers’ reindeer games and finally made Love the starter. Through his first nine games, Love threw almost as many interceptions (10) as he did touchdowns (14). He had a QB rating of 71.8 or worse in five of those games, including a low of 32.2 against the Las Vegas Raiders. His accuracy, his decisions, his footwork – they were all wanting.

But things started clicking for Love in November, and he’s been arguably one of the best QBs in the league ever since. He hasn’t thrown an interception in more than a month – Dec. 11, to be exact – and has a total of three going back to Halloween.

Meanwhile, Love has thrown for 24 touchdowns and run for two more in the last 11 games, and his QB rating has been 108 or better in all but two of those games.

He’s making throws that are reminiscent of Rodgers and Favre, with a quick release and ability to throw off his back foot or in the air. He’s putting the ball where only his receivers can get it, threading it between defenders. He’s also showing more poise in the pocket, recognizing when he can let something develop and when he needs to throw the ball away.

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While Love, and LaFleur, deserve much of the credit for his progress, the young QB has also benefited from the sudden growth of the receiving corps. It took until the regular-season finale for the Packers to have a 100-yard receiver (Bo Melton), and now they’ve had two in as many weeks with Romeo Doubs going for 151 against the Cowboys.

Doubs and Jayden Reed lead the receivers with eight TDs each, while Christian Watson has five and Dontayvion Wicks has four. Tight ends Tucker Kraft (two) and Luke Musgrave (one) also have contributed.

Gutekunst drafted all of them in the past two years.

"The depth that we have, I don’t know I’ve been around a team that can go with six, seven different guys," LaFleur said.

A half-season does not make a Hall of Fame quarterback. It probably won’t be until next season, after defensive coordinators have had several months to pick apart film of him, to know exactly how good Love is going to be. But Gutekunst and the Packers are happy with their QB and have no regrets about what it took to get him.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.