Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg may be the most intriguing quarterback prospect in this year's draft class, as his best collegiate season for the Nittany Lions came in his freshman season.
The 6-foot-4, 232-pound quarterback fits the prototypical size that NFL franchises look for in a pocket passer, but his numbers significantly dropped following his freshman season with his completion percentage dropping in each year.
Hackenberg's draft stock may be dropping even more, as reports have surfaced that the Penn State quarterback said "all the wrong things in interviews" when explaining the reason for his poor play. Hackenberg reportedly shifted the blame to Penn State head coach James Franklin, who took over the Nittany Lions program in 2014 when Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien left for the NFL.
"Despite the fact that it's probably true, you don't want to hear a kid say that," one NFL evaluator said. The Penn State quarterback completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 2,955 yards in his freshman season with 20 touchdowns to 10 interceptions, but he finished the next two seasons with 28 touchdowns to 21 interceptions with an average completion percentage of just 54.65 percent in those two seasons.
Many thought that his former head coach would look to target him in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft, but after landing former Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler in free agency, the Texans will likely pass on adding the Penn State quarterback to their roster. Hackenberg has drawn comparisons with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Ryan Mallett, who has not found much success in the NFL despite being drafted in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
NFL franchises want a quarterback that will take ownership for their mistakes, and they look for someone who will not only be a leader on the field, but in the locker room as well. "The tape is just terrible over the last two years, but he has traits and leadership," one NFC executive said prior to the recent report. "His freshman tape is good, but how do you discount everything you've seen for two years? That freshman tape is going to lead a team to overdraft him."
While Hackenberg shouldn't be blaming anyone but himself for his struggles at Penn State, it has to be pointed out that he was consistently under pressure as the Nittany Lions offensive line struggled with pass protection in both his sophomore and junior seasons. It will be interesting to see how far Hackenberg slides in the draft, but expect one NFL franchise to take a gamble on the Penn State quarterback, as at least a few teams will likely believe that they can develop him into a future starter in the league.
