NFL mock draft: 5 QBs who could be the next Brock Purdy
By John Buhler
Jake Haener is the most worthy quarterback of becoming the next Brock Purdy
Had Jake Haener been healthy throughout his final season at Fresno State, he could have been a fringe candidate to go in the first round. He nearly followed his former head coach Kalen DeBoer back to Washington. Instead, he opted to stick around with the Bulldogs for one more year, playing for the iconic Jeff Tedford last season. Fresno State just won the Mountain West under Tedford.
Tedford has a knack for developing quarterback talent. From Trent Dilfer to Akili Smith to Joey Harrington to Kyle Boller to most famously Aaron Rodgers, he has an eye for talent. While Haener largely fell into his lap, he is the prospect worth monitoring in day two of the 2023 NFL Draft. He may not be coming out of Fresno State with Dilfer or The Carr Brothers’ praise, but he is so good.
Admittedly, Haener is not going to be a seventh-round selection like Purdy was, but he has the best chance of any quarterback not slated to go in round one to be an NFL starting quarterback for the duration. Again, he will need to go to the right situation. Better yet, Haener must be afforded an opportunity to play early enough in his career to show off his talents. The tape speaks for itself.
West Coast quarterbacks tend to flourish professionally, so let’s keep an eye on Haener this year.
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