Pros, cons of Green Bay Packers picking Penn State football's Sean Clifford in NFL Draft

Penn State football's Sean Clifford was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Nittany Lion four-year starting quarterback was the No. 149 overall selection and the Nittany Lions' first on day three.

Clifford was drafted higher than most analysts predicted, going in the middle of the fifth round − and before his top wideout targets from last season, Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley.

Clifford followed a flurry of Nittany Lion draft picks on Friday's second day of the draft − from second-rounders Joey Porter Jr. (cornerback, Pittsburgh Steelers), Brenton Strange (tight end, Jacksonville Jaguars) and Juice Scruggs (center, Houston Texans) to third-rounder Ji'Ayir Brown (safety, San Francisco 49ers).

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Clifford was the 11th quarterback taken in the draft and three rounds later than the guy he continually beat out − Will Levis, who played the past two seasons at Kentucky. Clifford also was chosen one spot ahead of another former teammate, Florida receiver Justin Shorter (Buffalo Bills).

Clifford was the consummate leader, one of only two four-time team captains in school history. He also will be known as most prolific Penn State passer, setting records for career passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions and completion percentage.

Despite struggles with consistency and ability to win the biggest games, he played his best at the very end: His Rose Bowl MVP performance against Utah included 16-of-22 passing for 279 yards and two touchdowns.

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford: The positives

An excellent field leader who proved his toughness inside and out of the pocket − always willing and able to gain key yards with his legs. His hot streaks as a passer were as good as anyone. Just in the second half of last year: he earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors vs. Minnesota, completed 32 passes for 379 yards vs. Ohio State, threw four TD passes vs. Michigan State and diced up Utah's Rose Bowl defense.

He's mature (will turn 25 by the season opener), has run his own name, image and likeness business and can win people over. If anyone could work and will themselves above meager pro expectations ...

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The concerns

Despite completing better than 61 percent of his career passes at Penn State, accuracy issues were damaging, even through his sixth college season. He also struggled, at times, to read defenses and work through his passing progressions − ultimately running too quickly or missing open targets.

He lacks the arm strength to make the toughest NFL throws consistently. His passing mechanics never fully smoothed out, and he could still be caught throwing off his back foot, usually with poor results.

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Final thoughts

Clifford certainly looks the part of a trusted, diligent third-team NFL QB but maybe nothing more. His smarts, toughness and ability to earn yards with his legs should provide enough for him to stick on a roster, for now.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on Twitter @YDRPenn

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Green Bay Packers pick Penn State's Sean Clifford in NFL Draft