Tag: Jake Haener

Saints did a great job reading the draft board, making moves to get their guys

The Saints caught some heat for trading up so often, but they did a great job reading the draft board to make moves and go get their guys:

We’ve got to give credit where it’s due: the New Orleans Saints had a good read on which way the wind was blowing during the 2023 NFL draft, and several times they made moves at the right time to get out in front of some leaguewide trends. It may have been costly (and some experts may disagree with their final pick), but time and again the Saints got their guy before their competition had a chance to snap them up.

It started in the third round, when the Saints picked TCU running back Kendre Miller at No. 71 overall. No other running back had been picked to that point since UCLA star Zach Charbonnet was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks at No. 52, midway through the second round. But three more running backs would be taken off the board in Round 3 after the Saints picked Miller: Tulane’s Tyjae Spears at No. 81 (to the Tennessee Titans), Texas A&M’s Devon Achane at No. 84 (to the Miami Dolphins), and Auburn’s Tank Bigsgy at No. 88 (to the Jacksonville Jaguars).

Then the Saints shocked everyone by pulling off a trade before the next day’s picks even got started, vaulting up a dozen spots to get the first pick in Round 4 at No. 103. They used that opportunity to get their top offensive lineman, Old Dominion’s Nick Saldiveri (a college right tackle who is confident he can play anywhere), the first of ten blockers who would be going off the board by No. 122. Six of them were picked by the time the Saints would have made their initial selection at No. 115.

But wait, there’s more. The Saints traded again in the fourth round to get in position at No. 127 — this time targeting Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener. That kicked off a run on passers that continued into Round 5, with seven of them being taken in the next 37 selections (and five by No. 140). The Los Angeles Rams spun their decision to pick Georgia’s Stetson Bennett at No. 128 as him being their favorite quarterback in the class, but nobody’s buying that. He was a consensus seventh-round prospect and it’s blatantly obvious the Saints snaked them to get Haener, sending the Rams into a panic. Maybe.

At any rate, the Saints got their guys. And more often than not they made their picks at the right time. New Orleans catches a lot of heat for trading up so often and valuing picks and prospects differently than the rest of the league, and though it’s too early to say with certainty it sure looks like they made the right call this time.

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Mel Kiper grades Saints draft a B-minus, criticizes ‘a few significant reaches’

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper graded the Saints rookie class a B-minus, criticizing them for ‘a few significant reaches’ in Rounds 2 and 3

The 2023 NFL draft has drawn to a close, which means it’s time for analysts like ESPN’s Mel Kiper to issue report cards. Now, draft grades are ultimately worthless, sure, but it’s a useful exercise for recapping the draft class and getting an idea of what’s expected for each player on their new team.

And Kiper likes a lot of what the New Orleans Saints were able to do, though he criticized them for what he sees as reaching on some prospects he didn’t rate as highly as others. And he still hasn’t gotten over the decision to trade this year’s first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, which, to be fair, was nearly a catastrophic mistake. Kiper’s takeaways in grading the 2023 Saints draft class a B-minus:

This was an interesting draft for the Saints, who originally traded away their first-rounder last April then added one as a result of former coach Sean Payton getting hired by the Broncos. The Saints ended up picking 19 spots after their original selection. If they had their own pick at No. 10, they could have made the move up one spot to get Jalen Carter, like the Eagles did, and fill their biggest hole.

New Orleans instead landed my third-ranked DT Bryan Bresee (29), who isn’t as good against the run as Carter but does have some pass-rush upside. After his freshman season in 2020, I thought Bresee was a future top-five pick, but he missed all of 2021 with an ACL injury. If he can put everything together, he could be worth it, because teams covet interior pass-rushers.

I thought the Saints reached a bit for edge rusher Isaiah Foskey (40) on Day 2, and I would have preferred running back Devon Achane over Kendre Miller (71). Nick Saldiveri (103) played mostly right tackle in college, but he likely will move inside to guard for New Orleans. Quarterback Jake Haener (127) landed in a fun spot; his closest comp in size and mechanics is Drew Brees. Now, if the 6-foot passer becomes as good as Brees, I’ll be regrading this draft as an A+, but I see his ceiling as a really solid backup behind Derek Carr or a low-end starter. A.T. Perry (195), a 6-foot-3 wideout, had 26 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

Achane did have a lot of supporters among Saints fans, but there’s no way the team was going to draft him as a 188-pound running back with mediocre athletic testing results (outside of his 4.3-time in the 40-yard dash, which you would expect of someone in his weight class). He just doesn’t fit their established standards for the position. He’ll be a good pro especially in the high-octane Miami Dolphins offense, but Achane wasn’t a fit for the Saints.

Foskey was weirdly underrated throughout the entire draft class despite being just as athletic and more productive as players picked ahead of him, and as Kiper admitted he’s a great fit in the Saints defensive rotation. But so much of this draft hinges on Bresee staying healthy and available. His injuries were unrelated in college so it’s not like he has chronic health problems, but availability is the best ability, and he’s got to show the Saints can count on him. We’ll circle back in a few years and see whether Kiper was on the mark this time.

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Here’s the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 draft class

Here’s the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 draft class, with breakdowns of every pick, Relative Athletic Scores, and a preview of their team fits:

The 2023 NFL draft is in the books, and New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has to be feeling great about the rookie class he and his team hauled in. They’ve welcomed seven new players to New Orleans, with more to follow as undrafted free agents.

After staying put through the first three rounds of selections, the Saints traded up twice in the fourth round — while holding onto some of their picks in the later rounds. They came away with two impactful defensive linemen, a dynamic running back, and improved depth along the offensive line and in the defensive secondary. To say nothing of their new developmental quarterback.

Here’s a quick look at the Saints’ entire 2023 rookie draft class:

2023 NFL draft grades: Saints pick QB Jake Haener at No. 127 overall

2023 NFL draft grades: Saints pick Fresno State QB Jake Haener at No. 127 overall, via @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints trade up again in the fourth round to select quarterback Jake Haener out of Fresno State at No. 127 overall, sending a 2024 fourth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars to move up 100 slots from their seventh rounder at No. 227.

In terms of play style, Haener gets a lot of Drew Brees comparisons. He’s a very smart, accurate quarterback. He projects to be a great backup in the NFL, but lacks some of the physical traits to really expect to grow into a starter in today’s NFL.

He was impressive at Fresno State, breaking a lot of Derek Carr’s records along the way. He posted a very impressive 68 to 18 touchdown to interception rate. He overcomes the lack of arm strength with his anticipation at times, but is still limited.

This is a much better pick than Ian Book in the fourth, but still isn’t someone you expect to see the field much any time soon.

Grade: C+

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Jake Haener says he’s already spoken with Derek Carr, studied film with Drew Brees

New Orleans Saints fourth-round pick Jake Haener says he’s already spoken with Derek Carr and studied film with Drew Brees:

This is really cool. Jake Haener is joining the New Orleans Saints with a great appreciation for the opportunity in front of him, having already spoken with the quarterback he’s backing up — Derek Carr was one of the first people to congratulate him on being drafted, and he said the Fresno State legend has been a “sounding board” for him during his college career.

He’s also a big fan of Drew Brees, having worn the same jersey number in college. Haener added that he and Brees studied some of the Saints’ 2019 offensive game tape together before. Like Brees, he’s an undersized athlete and a very accurate passer who processes action quickly after the snap, so it makes sense to model his game off of one of the best quarterbacks of all time.

Haener isn’t going to become the next Brees, but he might be the next Brock Purdy. If he plays his cards right and works on some flaws in his game, he might be the next mid-round quarterback to eventually win a starting job like Kirk Cousins or Dak Prescott. But for now he just needs to focus on being the best pro he can be at the bottom of the Saints depth chart.

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Saints trade up again in Round 4, pick Fresno State QB Jake Haener

Saints trade up again in Round 4, pick Fresno State QB Jake Haener, who was compared to Drew Brees before the 2023 draft:

Whew: the New Orleans Saints are making up for lost time by trading up again in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, targeting Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener. New Orleans spent a 2024 fourth rounder to upgrade one of their 2023 seventh-round picks (Nos. 227) to a fourth-round selection (No. 127) from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Haener was compared to Drew Brees before the draft, so this isn’t too surprising. He’ll have time to pick up the offense and prepare to back up Derek Carr once Jameis Winston’s contract expires after this season. It’s kind of poetic that the Saints drafted one Fresno State quarterback to back up another.

This leaves the Saints with two more picks on the third day of the draft, in the fifth round (No. 146) and another choice in the seventh round (No. 257). They’re projected to receive a pair of fourth-round compensatory picks in 2024 for free agent losses in 2023, so this was a smart move.

More to follow…

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Titans had pre-draft meeting with Fresno St. QB Jake Haener

The Titans had a virtual meeting with Fresno State QB Jake Haener ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Tennessee Titans were one of several teams to meet with Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Titans had a virtual meeting with Haener, as did 11 other teams. Haener also had top-30 visits with the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns.

Our draft guru Shaun Calderon believes Haener is the No. 9 signal-caller in the draft and projects him to go anywhere from the late fourth round to the late sixth.

“Solid project quarterback who has the intangibles (football IQ) to give himself a shot in the NFL despite his smaller build,” Calderon wrote.

For another opinion on Haener, we turn to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com and his scouting report on the Fresno State product:

Team captain with below-average size and arm talent, but above-average football IQ. Haener plays with a pre-snap plan and does a nice job of getting the ball out quickly against the blitz. He senses edge pressure and slides to find a new location to throw from. He doesn’t have the drive velocity to successfully window shop and might require a timing-based scheme or spread attack where he can make quick throws in rhythm. Haener’s lack of traits, coupled with limited mobility outside the pocket, create a challenging road to NFL success.

While nothing can be ruled out, I think the Titans will aim to get their next quarterback at the top of this draft (hopefully C.J. Stroud) and won’t spend a pick on a project signal-caller in the middle to late rounds.

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Anonymous NFL exec on 2023 draft QB Jake Haener: ‘He’s got a little Drew Brees to him’

At least one anonymous NFL executive thinks highly of 2023 draft QB Jake Haener, telling NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero: ‘He’s got a little Drew Brees to him’

There’s something you don’t see everyday. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero spoke with sources around the league while digging into the 2023 NFL draft class at quarterback, and one passer was compared favorably to New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees. And like Brees, they aren’t projected to be a first-round pick.

One team’s anonymous executive drew a comparison between Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener and Brees, as well as other undersized passers to have their day in the sun in the NFL, telling Pelissero: “I think he’s similar to Gardner Minshew. He’s got some gamer to him, he’s accurate — he just doesn’t have a big arm. But he’s got a little Drew Brees to him. The ball’s going to come out. He knows where he’s going with it. He’s just not a big person (5-11 5/8, 207 pounds), so can he hold up?”

Haener is expected to be picked in the third or fourth round of this year’s draft, having improved year-over-year with his accuracy and ball security while being voted a team captain in each of his three years as the Bulldogs’ starter. He played through injuries and missed some time with a broken ankle in 2022.

Still, Haener is an electrifying presence on the field, and he throws a very catchable football. He has plenty of experience running a pro-style offense and is skilled at reading the field and getting the ball where it needs to go. He’s more pro-ready than other quarterbacks the Saints have picked in the mid-rounds before like Ian Book and Garrett Grayson. If New Orleans wants to invest in a long-term backup for Carr, getting a popular passer from his alma mater wouldn’t be the worst move. Maybe Haener has more Brees in him than we think.

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Bucs 2023 draft targets: Quarterbacks

Don’t expect the Bucs to go QB in Round 1, but here are a few options they could look at in the NFL draft:

The end of the Tom Brady era left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at a roster crossroads. Though their options appear limited, the Bucs could still look to add quarterback talent in the 2023 draft.

When the offseason began, the Bucs had only 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask on their quarterback depth chart. Trask has played all of 10 snaps in the NFL and was very much a project when the Bucs drafted him. That might explain why they signed Baker Mayfield in free agency, but neither option is a clear long-term answer.

With the 19th pick in this year’s draft, the Bucs are likely well out of range to take any of the top quarterback prospects. Top prospects Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson would well be gone before Tampa would even have a realistic chance to trade up for one of them.

Playing out the 2023 season with either Trask or Mayfield starting appears to be the only path available to the Bucs, but that does not mean Tampa won’t target a quarterback prospect to draft. Since 2019, the Bucs have typically carried three quarterbacks on the roster. While the Bucs could sign a developmental passer as an undrafted free agent, they have the draft capital to grab one in the late rounds.

Here are the quarterbacks the Bucs could target in the 2023 draft:

NFL Draft: Tyler Forness’ top 10 quarterbacks

The Minnesota Vikings need a quarterback of the future and there are some interesting players in this class that could fill that need.

Finding a quarterback of the future is the number one thing that the Vikings need this offseason. That doesn’t necessarily have to be a rookie, but it makes the most sense for what general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is trying to do.

This class doesn’t have a Trevor Lawrence in it, but what it does have is multiple talented players that could potentially be a really good player.

Earlier this week, I released my top 20 wide receivers and here is my list of top 10 quarterbacks.