I like the draft selection of Hackenberg. For many of reasons. It wasn't long ago (coming out of H.S) where this kid was the Nation's number one college recruit. During his first & only season under O'Brien as a Freshman he played exceptional while having a true #1 in A. Robinson. Not to make excuses but during his next two seasons under center (after losing O'Brien) he was then surrounded by an awful offensive line with unpolished WR's. I don't believe playing for a Penn State program in which was being punished by the NCAA helped matters either. He stuck with it, played through less than ideal situations and showed lots of heart (never once walking away/quitting on PSU's program). Most young kids would've wanted out. IMO he's as mentally tough heading into the NFL as they come. No college quarterback got smacked around as much as Hackenberg did; he got up every time. As far as physical features go he has it all. Great size with a very strong arm. Stands tall in the pocket. Has an excellent play action and can literally make all the throws due to arm strength. His mental IQ for the position is what you look for. Has experience within a pro style offense. Has read opposing defenses at the L.O.S while being able to audible out of a play pre-snap. Knew his playbook & understood the X's & O's aspect of the gane. This Hackenberg kid has a mind for the game which is key if given the opportunity to work with Chan Gailey on a daily basis. Improved foot work out of the shotgun is a must but overall I like this pick there late within the 2nd round. I'm not asking for him to start as a rookie, but between working with a Gailey, quarterbacking behind an NFL offensive line, having multiple weapons in Marshall, Decker, Forte and a deep threat in D.Smith etc and i wouldn't mind seeing him get a chance sooner rather than later. This is just my thought process/opinion but at the end of the day i believe our front office & coaching staff walked out of the draft with a young prospect in which has a load of potential both physically & mentally. Can't wait to see how he competes during this upcoming QB battle come camp.
It was interesting looking at Hack videos. Of course, all videos do is show completions. But I noticed that his passes were clean and on time freshman year. A lot of his completions the next two years were slight under throws. That could be a product of pass rush. Seeing his incompletions would probably give a better read on his accuracy.
Gruden pointed out something interesting about Hack when taking the shotgun snap. Now I may get this backward but as a freshman he had one foot behind receiving the snap---I think the left----then the next two years it was the other. Gruden pointed out that he set himself much better with the freshman footwork and he threw a better ball and wanted to know why he changed it. It was obviously a coach's preference---they would have picked up on it if they did not like it----but Hack would not say that.
Yes he did. When he asked him why, Hack said that he was doing what he was told to do. The new coaching staff changed his footwork. Gruden then pointed out that in his final game, he went back to the left foot, the one he was most comfortable with. Hack then said that he did it and the coaching staff didn't say anything, so he kept it that way the whole game. This was definitely a coaching change to his footwork and something he was not very comfortable with at all.
2013 tape: He seemed to have a good feel for when the pocket broke down. Never ran unless it was an absolute last resort. Overthrew the long ball often. Missed on a slightly alarming number of short throws. Looked at home in the pro set. Loved to roll out to his right and looked good doing it. Took some coverage sacks. A couple back breaking plays at crucial moments. Some big time throws at others. Honestly, he played like you'd expect an 18 year old learning a new system to play. The flashes were there. Haven't watched the entire 15' and 16' campaigns yet.
I just watched Gruen's QB camp with Hackenberg. This kids going to be a great player for us. The reason so many high pick QBs end up busting is because they're not able to handle all the responsibilities of being a pro QB, in particular, calling their protections, pre-snap reads and reading the defense generally. This kid was doing all that as a true freshman in a pro-style offense (Brady's offense no less). His understanding of the game is truly impressive. Yes, his mechanics need to be fixed and, its possible, that he'll have some issues learning to trust his offensive line after the poor excuse for an o-line he played with at Penn State the past few years. The mechanics and the trust issues should be fixable. I now understand why the Jets front office is so high on this kid. In fact, he's been working hard on his mechanics (and extensive film study) for the past 4 months. I doubt they'll start him at the beginning of the season, but if his mechanics are fixed by then I could see them starting him mid-year. Given the schedule next year, I doubt the jets are going anywhere. If they've fixed his mechanics they should definitely start him. I initially thought that the Jets would definitely end up signing Fitz to start this year, now, if this kids is impressive during the OTAs, I could see the jets deciding not to bother with Fitz anymore and just rolling the dice with this kid. Fitz better sign soon if he wants to play for the Jets this year.
this is the narrative i have a problem with. he wasnt exceptional his rookie year. he was very good, he showed alot of promise, but he wasnt exceptional. he had a sub 60 completion percentage and threw 10 picks in under 400 attempts and struggled vs .500+ competition. the potential/promise is what people loves, like you said being the nations top recruit and havng such a solid freshman year. but he never improved on that... the excuses for why he didnt are all good excuses, but the narrative that he had some elite freshman year is simply inaccurate
he was pretty inaccurate his freshman year, from a statistical standpoint. i think he obviously got worse and more inaccurate with more pressure on him from defenses. but the starting point wasnt accurate to begin with. i think most nfl prospects can hit an open guy with time and a clean pocket.
this is a good honest breakdown and not the narrative we have been fed that he was some elite player as a freshman. he was really good for his first season, the promise was there, but he wasnt great, and he never reached that promise... the jets are betting he would have if the circumstances where different. hopefully they are right, but it certainly is a gamble
Yes they can. I would have no problem with Hack has fourth rounder that is what his body of work has shown thus far. This guy is a project you do not draft projects in round 2 when you have holes like the Jets do. If the coaching staff does think he is a project you either start him or make him the back-up. Then who do you start? Fitz would be ideal if they can sign him then cut Geno? Start Geno hopefully he plays well enough then what he is not signed start Petty he is a project also. We have three QB'S on the roster all in their early 20's.
yea i agree. i like the pick if its in round 3 or 4. not round 2. not with how little young talent we have and with how poor we have drafted. we need long term starters, not project in the early rounds
There's more to being exceptional than stats. How many 18 years olds can come in, learn a complex NFL-style offense quickly, and master it well enough and reading Ds to change plays at the LOS? You're really starting to make yourself look silly with some of your comments. Be skeptical, think it a bad pick all you want, but at least use accurate statements that make some sort of rational sense. If you don't think Hack's play his freshman year was impressive, your standards are so high as to be completely ridiculous and lacking in connection with reality.
That's YOUR opinion, and obviously not that of NFL GMs. Mac is thinking both long term and short term. Obviously, you as a fan are only interested in the short term. Get over it.
you are kind of making a different argument though, and one i dont disagree with. My post was addressing those that said he had a phenomenal freshman season, and putting everything on his last 2 years as if his first season was great. it wasnt. to your point, the ability to pick up the system quick, to look poised in that system, to be productive in it. those are all great things, and it is why coming into his sophmore season he was projected as the #1 QB in the country. and maybe he would have been if there wasnt so much change around him. but it didnt happen(maybe to no fault of his). but that doesnt mean you can change pretend that it did happen or that he was elite his freshman year. he looked as promising as youd imagine as a freshman, poised to make the leap to a great college qb. but it didnt happen. jets are banking that he will make that leap in the pros, with a more solid foundation around him. we will see. maybe he does. but even if he does, i still think we get him later as to where i dont like the pick anyhow. im not rooting against the kid, just saying its justifiable to be upset with the pick, and that the notion he had reach a high level in college is not accurate. its not like he had a jaimis winston type freshman year with 40 touchdowns and 4000 yards.
Bottom line is the kid has a lot of potential, but until he shows us something, it's just that...potential. He has some problems that can probably be coached out of him. If those are his main issues, we could have a serious baller on our hands. If not, he might take longer to develop. He's young, and as long as Mac is here he has time on his side. Finally, he might not pan out at all. Based on what I've seen so far, I think he could thrive if we works out the kinks and has solid protection. He would have serious weapons here, and based on his ability to feel the pocket (at least in 2013) I don't think he'd need to be surrounded by all pro's. He showed the ability to recognize certain defensive looks, and at times, he was able to counter them. The accuracy is the big question in my book. Lots of talk about his footwork, and I'm sure that factors, but even when he was standing a way that was comfortable for him, he was not as accurate as anyone would like. I have high hopes for this kid. Something feels a little different this time around. Could just be that I'm doing more homework on him that those that have preceded him.
He had a 59% percent completion rate in a pro-style offense as a true freshman, while making protection calls, pre-snap reads, etc.. That's incredibly impressive and seems pretty accurate. Also, please remember that the stronger the QBs arm the more trouble young QBs have making short touch passes, generally. For comparison sake, John Elway had a 52% completion rate as a freshman. In subsequent years Hackenberg's completion rate dropped but he had crappy receivers dropping a lot of passes, a truly offensive o-line and mechanical problems caused by terrible coaching. I don't know if he'll be a franchise QB with the Jets, but he has the physical tools and mental abilities to be one. If he can put it all together, he will be a franchise QB. He is easily worth a 2nd round pick. I think he's going to make Macc look like a complete genius.
The thing I love the most is he doesn't make bad decisions. Most QBs develop better mechanics when they come into the league which makes them better more accurate throwers but their timing and decision making is so much harder to fix and Hack already excels IMO there especially 15 yards and out. His short passing game needs a lot of work however. Cannot wait until he gets to camp.
