Welcome to SKOL Search!
This series will be your guide to the 2023 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.
The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at wide receiver, running back, cornerback and both interior and edge pass rusher.
The Vikings are slated to have five picks going into the NFL draft and they need to make the most out of them.
Background
Jake Haener
- Fresno State
- Transferred from Washington
- Height-6000
- Weight-208 lbs
- Sixth-year senior
- 3-Star recruit per 247 Sports
- Stats: 68.2%, 9,120 yards, 68 touchdowns, 18 interceptions, 175 carries, -109 yards, 8 touchdowns
- Games watched: UCLA 2021, San Diego State 2022, USC 2022, Nevada 2022, Boise State 2022 (Mountain West Championship game)
Strengths
When you watch Haener, the two things that stand out more than anything are his guts and ability to make every throw and with anticipation. He sees the field well and has no issue throwing into tight windows.
The best epitome of his guts was against UCLA in 2021. He got rocked with a hip injury and gutted two fourth-quarter touchdowns to win a great game 40-37. He’s a gamer in every sense of the word.
Mechanically, Haener is sound. He has a compact throwing motion and can throw from multiple arm angles both in the pocket and on the run. He has clean feet and syncs his lower and upper bodies well.
Accuracy is a plus for Haener. Both from a general sense and with ball placement. He can hit the out route from the far hash and drop it in the bucket.
Haener shows the ability to make full-field reads, but doesn’t do them consistently due to the offense.
Weaknesses
If Haener had plus traits, he would be a first-round pick. Unfortunately, he has average arm talent. He can drive the ball well enough to run an offense, but can’t make the wow throws you see from the top quarterbacks in the league.
At times, he will write checks that his arm can’t cash. Thinking that he can hit an out and the ball slowly dies on him or throws off-platform thinking he can make a throw down the field but it comes up short.
The other issue with Haener is his frame. He has a slender frame and takes too many hits with his pocket presence and guts. He missed four games in 2022 with injury after taking a brutal hit against USC.
Overview
| Arm Strength | 7.1/10 |
| Accuracy | 8.4/10 |
| Mechanics | 8.1/10 |
| Ball Placement | 7.9/10 |
| Throwing Motion | 7.8/10 |
| Progressions | 7.8/10 |
| Decision Making | 7.9/10 |
| Functional Mobility | 7.9/10 |
| Durability | 6.9/10 |
| Poise | 8.7/10 |
| Grade | 78.5/100 Third Rounder |
Haener reminds me of Case Keenum without the bozo gene. He doesn’t have those 2-3 throws a game that just leave you scratching your head, but he’s the same level of gamer with a lot of guts and grit.
