Packers Invite Quarterback for Predraft Visit

With a need at quarterback entering the 2023 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers used one of their 30 predraft visits on Penn State’s Sean Clifford.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Sean Clifford, who finished his Penn State career with more than 10,000 passing yards, had a predraft visit with the Green Bay Packers, according to agent Paul Sheehy.

A four-year starter, Clifford in Penn State history is the career leader in completion percentage (61.2) completions (817), passing yards (10,382) and passing touchdowns (84). Among quarterbacks, he’s third with 1,074 rushing yards and fourth with 15 rushing touchdowns and second with 11,456 total yards.

“I don’t regret anything that has happened,” he told The Reading Eagle late in the season. “Do I regret a throw? Yeah, for sure, a bunch of throws. At the same time, when it comes to how I’ve approached the game, how I’ve approached every single day in the locker room, I know I’ve given this program everything I’ve got.

“I’ve laid my guts on the line for this place. I love everything about Penn State.”

As a senior he was a finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. The team captain completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,822 yards with a career-high 24 touchdowns and a career-low seven interceptions.

He took pride in mentoring the quarterbacks who will replace him in 2023.

“When I’m in that room, I try to go past the X’s and the O’s and talk about the why behind it,” he said. “I try to make it relatable and try to accelerate their process. That’s my goal with the young guys, to get them to be masters of the offense as soon as possible. It’s a mission of mine every day.”

Clifford closed his career by winning MVP of the Rose Bowl.

"I would personally say he’s the greatest Penn State quarterback in history," Liam Clifford, Sean’s brother and a receiver on the team, said after the game. "Obviously I'm a little biased being his little brother, but his legacy at Penn State is that. His legacy for me is being my best friend."

Clifford measured exactly 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds with 9 5/8-inch hands. Those meet with Green Bay’s traditional standards. Ran his 40 in an excellent 4.62 seconds and posted a Relative Athletic Score of 9.03. He’s adept in a read-option offense, something that Packers coach Matt LaFleur featured with Aaron Rodgers, but lacks the arm strength to be anything more than a late-round pick.

Assuming Aaron Rodgers is traded, the Packers have only two quarterbacks with Jordan Love and Danny Etling. Etling entered the NFL in 2018 but has not appeared in a regular-season game.

Clifford was not invited to the Scouting Combine, making Penn State’s pro day a few weeks ago especially important.

“I feel like I’m truly playing my best ball," Clifford said at pro day. "The Rose Bowl speaks for itself. And I know that I’m playing my best ball and I know that I’m a pro, being able to show that today, show my speed and show my athleticism.”

He added: “I just need to be in a camp. I just need to be in a practice with the pros, because I know I’m a pro. I can come in and add value to a team. I know that more than anything. I still think I can play in the league 100 percent.”

Green Bay was one of eight visits, workouts or interviews for Clifford.

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There are 16 days until the 2023 NFL Draft. The 100 Days of Mocks series rolls on with Mel Kiper 4.0 leading off today's story.https://t.co/6oP6yEbFF9

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) April 11, 2023

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