The New York Jets took the first quarterback in the second round and it turns out that it was the guy we wanted all along: Christian Hackenberg. There was a time where we thought that he would be a top draft pick in the NFL after a great freshman year under head coach Bill O'brien. Well that completely changed after he left Penn state and they hired James Franklin. After that, his draft stock completely dropped because let's face it, Penn state sucked under Franklin and Hackenberg didn't fit underneath his system.
This is not Hackenberg's fault. Penn state failed to bring in talent to help him out and he couldn't stay upright because almost every play he got either sacked or hit. Eventually he lost his confidence, he started getting into bad habits, and he was inaccurate. However, I believe that the New York Jets will be his shot of redemption and maybe he could be the quarterback answer that we have been searching for but first he needs to be developed and get his confidence back. Former Tampa Bay Bucs and Oakland Raiders head coach and ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said "As a true freshman, he's the Big Ten Freshman of the Year under Bill O'Brien... He's a Penn state, two-time captain. Too many plays had no chance from the get-go." Everybody else who knew this kid gave nothing back a good rep including Texans head coach Bill O'Brien.
Hackenberg is a smart, tough, he's put together, and he's a better athlete than you think. He has this presence around him that you can get from a great quarterback. He has the loudest, most commanding snap count that people have heard since Andrew Luck. He can throw the football, has a strong arm, and he had the ability to learn quickly when he was under Bill O'brien at Penn state. He has mechanical issues that can be straightened out and let's not forget when the Patriots drafted Tom Brady. A lot of people thought he was undersized, he didn't have the built to be a quarterback but look at him now.
Bottom line, I think that Hackenberg can be the guy the Jets have been looking for. We just need some time for him to be developed and get his confidence back up. OC Chan Gailey is going to make this kid great and Jets fans have a lot to look forward to, we just have to be patient for a little while.