Jaren Hall: A Starter in the Second Round

Jaren Hall

Brigham Young University Quarterback 6’1, 205lbs

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Pros

Jaren Hall is an exciting prospect because he has everything you want as a QB. Hall currently isn’t first-round pick worthy in the eyes of scouts, analysts, and the mass of fans. The BYU QB put up 3,171 passing yards, 350 rushing yards, and 35 total TDs. Hall was “one of just three FBS quarterbacks with 3000+ passing yards, 65%+ completion rate, 160+ pass efficiency rating, 30+ touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions with 300+ rushing yards. Others include: Caleb Williams (USC) and Drake Maye (North Carolina)” according to NFLDraftBuzz.com. Hall’s greatest traits are his arm talent, mobility, and quick release.

Outside Left	Between Numbers	Outside Right	Yardage
13/20, 430 yards, 6 TD, 0 INT, 147.9 NFL (Rating)	4/15, 202, 3 TD, 0 INT, 118.8 NFL	11/25, 3054 TD, 2 INT, 95.8 NFL	20+
12/21, 205, 2 TD, 1 INT, 102.3 NFL	27/45, 457, 3 TD, 3 INT, 88.8 NFL	14/24, 1922 TD, 0 INT, 111.8 NFL	10+
27/29, 207, 3 TD, 0 INT, 130.9 NFL	44/58, 440, 1 TD, 0 INT, 102.7 NFL	17/20, 1612 TD, 0 INT, 133.5 NFL	0+
18/21, 154, 1 TD, 0 INT, 113.1 NFL	48/50, 353, 3 TD, 0 INT, 116.1 NFL	12/12, 561 TD, 0 INT, 113.9 NFL	BLOS

The table above illustrates how good Hall’s arm talent is and how effective he could be at the next level. Thanks to Pro Football Focus, we have stats like adjusted competition percentage. His actual percentage was 65.7%, but adjusted for drops and on-target throws it was 75.9%. The BYU offense, while based out of the shotgun is very much reminiscent of today’s modern game with the screen game and zone blocking scheme. Hall was very effective at throwing the screen pass only missing on five of 83 attempts. There are plenty of NFL QBs who have a job based solely on their accuracy in the short/intermediate game.

Hall can do that and launch a pretty nice deep ball at the same time. Ask Puka Nacua how many times he was 30+ yards downfield and was able to score with ease. Jaren has great touch and placement of the football. If your looking for examples of his ability to fit the football into tight windows then look no further than the Utah Tech game. While it’s easy to point to the gimme game. It must be said that Tech played man-to-man defense tight and Hall was able to place the ball in the absolute right spot. At the next level Hall is going to possess the arm that teams are looking for.

Hall’s mobility is what is going to make him an interesting talent in this year’s draft. The most yards Hall had in a game was 80 against Boise State. In that game he rattled off his longest run of the year (48 yards). Hall isn’t going to be Lamar Jackson or Justin Fields, but he has the talent to keep defenses on their toes. In 2022 Hall ran for 29 first downs, 13 runs of 10+ yards, and 165 yards after contact. He’s a slick and smart runner who will extend passing plays and drives with his legs. At the next level, Hall will provide a team with a mobile Qb that can extend drives and put his team in a position to win.

Cons

Hall has some glaring negatives that he can’t fix. One is he’s 25 years old and the other is he’s 6’1. While he’s just under the NFL average QB Height (6’2), Hall will still face some of the question marks of being a small QB. Whether he will be able to see over the line, will his passes get batted down, and will he be able to withstand hits. There have been success stories in the modern game of shorter QBs. Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, and Michael Vick to name a few.

Being on the older side might be his biggest hurdle as there are fewer modern-day QBs drafted over the age of 25 that have been successful. That’s most likely due to the fact that those QBs tend to be drafted later and given less of a leash to succeed. The last guy we saw drafted over 25 years old was Brandon Weeden in 2012. That was an extreme case with Weeden being 28. It’s hard to think any team would give Hall a lot of chances if he’s not at least a Day 2 pick. So it’s going to be imperative for Hall to get on a team where he can challenge for a starting job. And show what he can do, so he doesn’t waste years on the bench.

Hall has all the arm talent and mechanics to be successful, where he struggles is his field vision and forcing the ball to his receivers. After watching 10 of 12 BYU games, I can firmly say that he stares his targets down and only sees half of the field. This leads to his forcing throws and you can see that defenders will pick up on it at the next level. One glaring play for me was against Boise State, he rolls out to the left and tried to force it to a receiver that is well covered on a comeback route. Instead of just throwing it away he decided to try and get it to the receiver. Hall gets hit and underthrows it right into the defender’s hands, the corner didn’t need to move. He’s got everything you want talent-wise but needs someone to help him turn his head and see the field.

Best Game: Baylor Bears

Stat Line: 23 for 39, 261 passing yards, TD | 10 carries, 28 yards | Rec, 22 yards, TD

While Jaren Hall’s game against the Baylor Bears wasn’t his most stat-stuffed game. It was good in the way of showing his ability against the #9 team in the country at the time. This game was a showcase for what Hall could do at the next level, he was hitting his guys is stride and making plays with his feet. One drive I want to point to right out of the gate is the first-half closing drive, with a minute and 30 seconds left on the clock.

Hall leads the Cougars on a 75-yard drive, concluding with a dime of a back shoulder touchdown pass. Outside of the TD pass, this drive was everything you’d want from an NFL QB, Hall was quick to the line, made decisive throws, and took advantage of the middle of the field being left open by the defense. Peppering the Bears with slants, digs, and comeback routes. The Cougars seemed to always have an open man for Hall and he made sure that man got the ball.

Overall Hall was quick with his decisions, accurate with his throws, and was making plays with his legs. We also found out that he has receiving prowess in this game as he caught a 22-yard screen and rumbled his way into the endzone for his second TD of the game. As I said previously this game was a showcase of how well Hall could execute the screen game and with yards after the catch becoming a big part of the NFL. Hall is putting his receivers in a good spot by leading them into areas where extra yards are available.

Negatives for Hall in this game came from his running tendencies. Hall is smaller for a QB and at the next level, he shouldn’t welcome the hits that he took in this game. I get exploiting an aggressive defense but there were numerous times that he either had a scripted power run or improvised up the middle. The problem isn’t the play it’s that he didn’t slide or went face into his slide. A big no-no for a small QB, he got lit up multiple times by Baylor’s linebackers and sliding face first can open up fumble possibilities. Something he might want to consider returning to his baseball days and pretending he’s trying to not get tagged by the second basemen.

Worst Game: Notre Dame

Statline: 9 of 17, 120 yards, 2 TD, INT | 5 carries, 15 yards

The game against Norte Dame was by far the worst game I saw from Jaren Hall. Now a lot of people will debate that his Liberty game was the worst. Much like the Baylor game wasn’t his most productive game, but it was his best against a legit defense. The Fighting Irish was a stiff test that he didn’t pass in my opinion. This game was a back-and-forth game but that was more of a credit to the BYU offensive line and the run game.

The game started off with an interception for Hall. He felt the pressure of the defense rushed an underthrown pass right into the hands of the Notre Dame corner. This was the start of what would be a rough day for Hall. He would continue to not handle the pressure well including getting sacked for a safety. One of my major knocks on Hall is his lack of full-field vision, which gets him in trouble in pressure situations. In this game, he forced a couple of throws that should’ve gone against him. Something that he’ll need to correct at the NFL level.

The defense being in his face all game didn’t help and his turnover-worthy passes were at a season-high (2). He also completed 52.9% of his passes which was his second lowest. This game was a test for him and while he didn’t do well I can say that BYU was never out of this game. Hall never hung his head low. He went out on every drive and tried to make something happen. Hall’s biggest play was a 53-yard house call on a broken coverage to Kody Epps.

Comps: Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield

Height definitely plays a factor in these comps, but I wanted to get two guys that embody Hall’s best and worst traits. Hall has the ability to improvise with his legs and be a real threat in the play-action game. The Cougar QB completed 67.5% of his passes out of play action. This is great considering this will most likely be something he’s asked to do a lot of at the next level especially if he’s going to live up to Russell Wilson. He’s also a real threat with his legs, having four designed runs go for 15+ yards and 13 runs for 10+ yards.

Hall had 403 rushing yards, on 54 attempts with 27 of those being scramble attempts. So he’s very good when asked to run the football. The problems arise when he’s pressured and forced to pass the ball, when the pocket collapsed on him. Hall completed only 33.3% of his passes with three touchdowns and four interceptions. This is something to take into account as prior to this season (2022: Baker-39.3%, Russ- 43.5) both Baker and Russ have completed 40-50% of passes under pressure.

Wherever Hall lands he’s most likely going to be getting pressured and is going to have to fight the urge to force the ball into a bad spot. Take it from Baker, who has lost two jobs because of his lack of ball security in pressure situations. Much like Baker and Russ, Hall is a gamer who will go out and give his all to the team. Let’s just hope he’s more Russ than he is Baker.

2023 Dynasty Rookie Draft Projection: Late 2nd/3rd

Teams That Fit:

Washington Commanders

The Commanders seem like a fit here as they will be evaluating their QB situation this year with Sam Howell this year. It might be worth a second-round pick to go get some competition. Plus this is a receiving core that can attack defenses at all levels. Add in a lineman or tight end in the first, along with Chiefs’ former OC Eric Bienemy.

Seattle Seahawks

Hall’s comp is Russell Wilson, who knows a talent like Wilson’s better than the Seahawks. If they choose to not go after a top-end talent at pick number six, then they might continue to bolster their team in the first. Then take someone like a Hall in the second. It might be a perfect fit, Hall could learn behind Geno Smith and take over a team that’s well accustomed to his style of football.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are in a rough spot in 2023 because they need a QB, but they are just outside of that sweet spot to get their choice of QBs. I don’t doubt one of the top guys will fall to the Panther, but it depends on who it is. Also if they think he’s better than someone like Peter Skoronski from Northwestern. I feel like the Panthers will draft a QB this year and most likely that’ll be in the second. Hall would be getting a number-one receiver in DJ Moore and an offensive guru in head coach Frank Reich.

Tampa Bay Bucs

If Tampa can rebuild its offensive line this offseason, then this could be a desirable spot for a young QB. Hall would have a young pass-catching RB in Rachaad White and two veteran receivers. This move could help keep the Bucs on top in the depleted NFC South.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have to start looking into the QB position with Kirk Cousins turning 35 and in the last year of his contract. This seems like a good situation for a QB to come in and learn from Cousins. Eventually, take over an offense that has the best receiver in the game Justin Jefferson.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints have been searching for Drew Brees replacement and they should start looking outside of the organization. Hall could be the replacement the team has been looking for. While this team isn’t set up to be good in 2023, they should consider bringing in a gamer at QB and Hall could be that guy.

Summary

A quick summary of Jaren Hall is he’s an absolute talent that needs some direction on how to view the field. His positives on the field are up there with the guys who are dominating the youth movement currently at the QB position. His negatives make him a huge risk for a team looking at him as the future of the franchise. Overall he deserves an opportunity to start for an NFL team and could very easily fall into the later-round darling category along the lines of Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Brock Purdy, etc.