Came here kicking-and-screaming but now ready to embrace the start of the Malik Willis Era with the Miami Dolphins. And now that a quarterback is in place, let’s reset for a second and take a gander at where it all goes from here.

General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan making his first big signing arguably the top quarterback in this year’s free agent class was not on the bingo card for some, given the financial state of things at his new place of employment.

But Sullivan pulled off getting Willis for what feels like — by way of Willis’ reaction to questions about it — less than he may have been offered elsewhere (cough, Arizona) and certainly less than what some had predicted, more palatable.

THE GREEN BAY WAY

Adding Willis set off what feels like a redux of what Green Bay has always, infamously liked to do.

Notable General Manager Ron Wolfe joined the Packers in 1991 and signed on a short-term loan in Mike Tomczak. After that though, it was on.

Wolfe acquired Brett Favre in February 1992 by way of a trade with the Falcons. He also drafted that year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Ty Detmer of BYU.

From there they drafted

• Mark Brunell (R5, 1993)
• Jay Barker (R5, 1995)
• Kyle Wachholtz (R7, 1996)
• Ronnie McAda (R7, 1997)
• Matt Hasselbeck (R6, 1998)
• Aaron Brooks (R4, 1999)
• Craig Nall (R5, 2002)

THE SHOCKER

A quick glance and a few things stand out.

First, they really did draft someone virtually every year so Sullivan making that statement really isn’t kidding.

Second, all of those picks come in what today would be Day 3 of the NFL Draft.

Finally, that’s a pretty amazing hit rate and an unbelievable testiment to drafting at the position in numbers.

But the shocker came when the Packers went off that script and despite still having Favre in house and still one of the NFL’s stars, they took advantage of a ghost-faced Aaron Rodgers falling to the 24th pick of the draft and snatched him up. Everyone knows the results from there.

GET YOUR GUY, GO RIGHT BACK TO IT

After they moved on from Favre and Rodgers stepped in, Green Bay — regardless of who was GM — went right back to it.

• Ingle Martin (R5, 2006)
• Brian Brohm (R5, 2008)
• Matt Flynn (R7, 2008)
• B.J. Coleman (R7, 2012)
• Brett Hundley (R5, 2015)
• Jordan Love (2020)

THE BIG PAYOFF

There have actually been two big payoffs in the way Green Bay has operated as it relates to quarterback. The obvious is it has turned out all of their starters since 1991.

Less obvious — by trading off some of those quarterbacks they drafted who turned out to be good but not good enough to be their main guy, the Packers collected 10 draft picks. Two each in the first and second round, four third rounders, and one each in the fifth and sixth.

It’s been a bonanza.

HOW THIS PLAYS IN MIAMI

Without making a novel out of this, it depends on how Willis does.

If Willis turns out to be the guy, draft those late guys when you have the roster spots and sometimes even when you don’t.

If he isn’t the guy, there is obviously the high end of the 2027 draft but it’s hard to see things going south that quickly, given the personnel around him will not be complete.

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Above: 2025 freshmen and early 2028 favorites, Cal’s Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele and Maryland’s Malik Washington