Record-Setting QB Recovering From Elbow Surgery Visits Packers

UTEP’s Gavin Hardison is ahead of schedule in his comeback from season-ending elbow surgery.

UTEP QB Gavin Hardison / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has said he’d like to regularly draft quarterbacks to improve the depth of the most important position in football.

Could UTEP’s Gavin Hardison be that player?

Hardison had a predraft visit with the Packers on Wednesday, a source confirmed to Packer Central.

Who Is Gavin Hardison?

In 35 starts over five seasons, Hardison completed 53.7 percent of his passes for 7,963 yards with 40 touchdowns vs. 33 interceptions. In 2021, he started 13 games and threw for 3,218 yards with 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In 2022, he started 10 games (missed two with an ankle injury) and threw for 2,044 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

However, after throwing five touchdowns vs. seven interceptions in five games in 2023, he had Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow.

Former UTEP QB Gavin Hardison is on a pre-draft visit today with the #Packers.

Hardison had Tommy John surgery in November, but he was already throwing at his pro day last month. A possible sleeper. pic.twitter.com/d3vhaUmpMk

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 17, 2024

“It’s really disappointing. If he would’ve had a full season he would’ve been able to put himself high up in the record books at UTEP,” UTEP coach Dana Dimel said at the time. “Throughout fall camp, I had multiple teams talk to me about him being a mid-round draft pick. Some of them had him going into the season as a fifth-round pick. I’m hoping the injury doesn’t impact that. I feel really bad for Gavin to not get to go out the way he wanted to go out.

Hardison is about three or four weeks ahead of schedule in his recovery, a source said. The Packers were among the teams who watched his pro day in late March. 

"I felt like I did well," Hardison told The El Paso Times. "I missed some throws, but for the most part, coming back from injury, I felt I had a lot of power behind the ball. It felt good."

Green Bay was his first visit, though he’s had a handful of Zoom interviews with quarterback coaches.

Hardison set school records for passing yards and touchdowns. For critical context on his low completion percentage, his average distance of throw in 2023 was the fifth-highest among quarterbacks in this draft class.

“I’ve had some really good memories and met some really good teammates and play for awesome coaches,” Hardison said. “It’s been fun and now it’s just about going out and finishing the last two games and being as supportive as I can.”

How Would Gavin Hardison Fit With Packers?

Before the injury, Hardison showed a big-league arm and enough mobility to keep plays alive. At pro day, he showed a hint of that arm strength, even though he’s not at full strength in his comeback just yet.

He measured 6-foot-1 7/8 and 206 pounds. That’s the right size for the Packers, who haven’t preferred tall quarterbacks over the years. His 10-inch hands are exactly what the Packers are looking for, and he’s got enough athleticism with a 4.82 in the 40.

With Jordan Love and Sean Clifford, the Packers are solid atop the depth chart. However, the only other quarterback on the roster is Alex McGough, a seventh-round pick by the Seahawks in 2018 who has not played in a game. At age 28, he is one of the oldest players on the team; only Preston Smith, Eric Wilson, Matt Orzech and Greg Joseph have celebrated their 29th birthday.

What Is Gavin Hardison’s Draft Projection?

Hardison might be worthy of a late-round flier. His visit in Green Bay will be one part medical to check the status of the elbow. The other focus will be how he fits with the coaches and to get a gauge of his football intelligence.

What is his favorite throw? This quote would endear him to coach Matt LaFleur.

“To the open guy.”

Gavin Hardison / Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports

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