Written by Eric Galko at Bleacher Reports.com
After suffering through a lackluster sophomore and junior campaign, Christian Hackenberg entered the draft process with much frustration from NFL scouts. He showed remarkable promise as a freshman under then-head coach Bill O’Brien but regressed the next two seasons at Penn State, transitioning his first-overall potential into real fear for NFL teams that he wouldn’t blossom into an NFL starter.
Despite his lackluster production and effectiveness at the helm of the Penn State offense, Hackenberg still may be a first-round quarterback in the 2016 NFL draft. His optimistic flashes and experience in a pro-style offense should intrigue teams enough to consider him a capable NFL game manager with the upside to be a franchise passer.
Reason for Optimism
Hackenberg hasn’t developed much since his freshman season, much to the chagrin of NFL evaluators. But that first-year promise hasn’t completely faded from his NFL scouting report. His mechanics and footwork have stifled his development, leading to errant throws and missed opportunities within the offense.
Losing O’Brien to the NFL inhibited Hackenberg’s growth and forced him to take on more of a game manager role for the offense. But the flashes he had as a freshman still reared their head on occasion during his junior season, particularly as a pocket passer.
As he showed throughout his game against Illinois, Hackenberg offers confidence and poise in the pocket. He was willing to take a hit during his tenure at Penn State, which was even more evident during his junior season as he suffered through poor offensive line play. When working in a straight dropback, Hackenberg reacts to outside pressure easily, transitioning to an upfield thrower and evading potential sacks. Despite suffering through one of the worst two-year stretches in the country in terms of sacks, Hackenberg has maintained effectiveness in navigating in the pocket and keeping his vision focused downfield.
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