Christian Hackenberg Debate: Is he undervalued?
As someone who has attended his fair share of Penn State games, a critical piece of Christian Hackenberg’s issues that not a lot of people notice is the offense he is in. Most of the plays are one read plays and he has no ability to make plays. They run a lot of screens and designed runs that he isn’t a fit for. Everyone needs to watch the Michigan game from 2013 when he had Allen Robinson and Bill O’Brien.
No matter what anyone says, I firmly believe Christian Hackenberg is the most tested (both mentally and physically), toughest, and most clutch quarterback in this draft with the most upside. In drafts where Teddy Bridgewater and Aaron Rodgers fell and less than stellar quarterbacks were taken before them, we’ve seen guys rise from the ashes and become the best player in their class.
A lot of our staff had similar opinions to Hackenberg:
Eric Robinson: Hackenberg is wrongfully criticized in my opinion. He has enough tools to eventually turn into a respectable starter in the NFL. His O-Line was absolutely horrendous. He rarely had time to complete 3 or 5 steps drops or even step up in the pocket. Many question his accuracy and ball placement but it’s difficult to deliver spot-on passes when you’re getting destroyed by two lineman at once. As Nick stated, he will be a steal in my opinion.
Kyle McKinnon: Probably won’t be a first-rounder but will be a steal in the 2nd. Had little to no help at Penn State. If put in the right situation, like Jameis Winston got with the Bucs, he could really thrive.
Erik Lambert: I always have to tell myself to keep perspective. It’s easy to pile on Hackenberg for his struggles but this kid has been dealt a raw deal. The constant changes with the coaching staff as well as limited to non-existent pass protection has slowed his development to crawl. To think he still managed to have some pretty good games in spite of that is a testament to his work ethic and natural ability. He should be a 1st rounder but won’t be because of production. If he lands in the right hands on Day 2, they have a potential franchise quarterback.