What pre-draft scouting reports said about Saints fourth-round pick Jake Haener

STRENGTHS: Efficient field-reader and routinely finds his third or fourth progression on the play … twitchy trigger when he sees his window come open … has enough arm to make opposite-hash throws … above-average timing and accuracy in the short-to-intermediate part of the field … able to layer over linebackers or in-between safeties … has a great feel for coverage spacing and trusts his receivers to be in the right place at the right time … comfortable throwing under duress, skillfully eluding pressure or changing arm angles to find a passing lane … throws well on designed rollouts or scrambles … his fumbles dropped from seven in 2021 to just two in 2022 … resilient, fearless competitor (see: 2021 UCLA tape) and his toughness sets the standard in the program (NFL scout: “His guys gladly go to war with him because he puts his ass on the line every play.”) … voted a three-time team captain by his teammates (Tedford: “To be on the field every single day with him and to see how focused he is, it’s unbelievable. The way he prepares and what this means to him, his discipline, his purpose, the whole bit.”) … finished fourth in school history in career passing yards (9,120).

WEAKNESSES: Undersized frame and doesn’t have desired height, built or growth potential … doesn’t have a power arm and struggles to consistently zip the ball, giving defenders a chance to drive on throws … some of his balls flutter and struggle to cut through the wind … inconsistent trajectory and placement on deep passes outside the numbers (33.3 percent completions in 2022) … becomes overly reliant on check-down options at times … missed four games as a super senior because of a right ankle fracture (September 2022); played through several other injuries, including an oblique injury suffered versus UCLA (September 2021).

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Fresno State, Haener was productive in the Bulldogs’ spread RPO scheme under longtime mentor Jeff Tedford and led the program to the 2022 Mountain West Championship. He played at a high level in five career starts against Pac-12 opponents: 67.7 percent completions, 302 passing yards per game and eight total touchdowns, including a legendary comeback performance at UCLA in 2021. As a rhythm passer, Haener throws receivers open and displays a natural feel for placement, putting the ball away from the leverage of the defender. With his field vision, gutsy instincts and play confidence, he doesn’t wilt versus pressure and consistently finds answers when blitzed. Overall, Haener doesn’t have premium size or arm strength by NFL standards, but he helps compensate for his average physical tools with passing anticipation, natural accuracy and the competitive toughness to keep plays alive. As long as he is healthy, he has the mental makeup and instincts to be a resourceful NFL backup in the mold of Taylor Heinicke.

Team captain with below-average size and arm talent, but above-average football IQ. Haener plays with a pre-snap plan and does a nice job of getting the ball out quickly against the blitz. He senses edge pressure and slides to find a new location to throw from. He doesn’t have the drive velocity to successfully window shop and might require a timing-based scheme or spread attack where he can make quick throws in rhythm. Haener’s lack of traits, coupled with limited mobility outside the pocket, create a challenging road to NFL success.

Jake Haener had a long road to becoming an NFL prospect, going from a low-level recruit who failed to beat out Jacob Eason at Washington to then transferring to Fresno State where he would wind up breaking both David and Derek Carr’s passing records. Haener’s rise is a testament to his drive, work ethic, and football character and it’s those attributes that will also allow him to succeed at the next level.

As a prospect, Haener has below-average size and height but above-average overall athleticism. If you are looking for a physical freak quarterback prospect, Haener isn’t for you, but there is still a ton to like about Haener’s game. For an undersized quarterback, Haener displays an above-average arm and an ability to hit all the throws an NFL offense will ask of him. He is a right-handed passer who is quick and compact-release. He is outstanding pre-snap and consistently gets the Bulldogs’ offense in the right play to combat what the define shows him. A highly-instinctive player, Haener is a rhythm passer who throws with outstanding timing and anticipation. Oftentimes he will throw the football before the receiver is out of his break and it will hit him in the hands. Haener displays above-average velocity on short and intermediate throws and has enough zip to get the ball into tight windows. Conversely, he has the ability to throw with touch and layer the football over defenders when he needs to. Haener is an accurate quarterback who has very good ball placement.

Haener is an above-average athlete who has the ability to make plays within and out of structure. While he will not be a true threat to run the ball at the next level, he has enough foot quickness to evade pressure and escape the pocket while also still being able to deliver an accurate football down the field. Haener will never be a quarterback who excels at stretching the field vertically, however. His deep ball accuracy is inconsistent and there will be times he underthrows his intended target. Additionally, there are plenty of occasions where his balls are batted at the line of scrimmage due to his lack of height. 

From an intangible standpoint, perhaps no quarterback in this class has Haener’s competitive toughness. He has proven to play through injury and is always at his best when his team needs him most. 

Overall, if Haener were bigger and stronger we would be talking about a sure-fire top-10 pick, but unfortunately, he is not. With his lack of high-end traits, it’s hard to see Haener ever being a top starter at the next level, but with his natural ability as a passer and the competitive toughness he displays, I would not be shocked to see him develop into a low-level starter who you can win with if you surround him with a good team. I would not bet against this player. 

Jake Haener is an undersized three-year starter with the toughness and decisiveness to be a quality backup. His game revolves around being unafraid to make a play.

In the pocket, Haener is exceptionally tough. He has zero issue taking a shot to the chinstrap if it means getting a high-value throw off. He remains calm under pressure and keeps his eyes up consistently when presented with cluttered pockets, though he could stand to move around a bit more than he does.

Haener also plays like a seasoned vet when it comes to finding ways to make throws work. He shows good anticipation and a fearless trigger. That runs him into trouble on occasion, but it more often allows him to maximize his average arm strength and fit difficult throws.

Haener has a great understanding of how to throw receivers open by placing the ball away from the defender’s leverage, be that high, low, inside or outside of the “standard” target point. That unlocks a degree of throw difficulty that many other Day 3 quarterbacks don’t have.

With that being said, Haener’s physical skill set is limiting, and his accuracy is nothing to get excited over. Haener is undersized at 6’0″ and 207 pounds, and he plays with such reckless abandon that he will always be prone to taking major hits. The accumulation of those hits over time will be an issue.

On top of that, Haener is often late to try to move outside the pocket and doesn’t have the athleticism to escape most of the time. His arm is also middling. Haener throws with everything he has on every throw. That does just enough to give him NFL velocity, but it hurts his ability to control the ball and throw with touch, and he loses that velocity when his base isn’t set properly.

It’s hard not to appreciate Haener’s playing style. He is fearless both in terms of taking hits and making NFL-level throws. He also brings just enough veteran savvy to be interested in his floor as a prospect.

However, Haener’s size, up-and-down accuracy and middling physical tools make him more of a high-end backup than potential future starter.

Past the top group of signal-callers, Haener is one of the most intriguing value passers in the 2023 NFL Draft. He grades in the early-Day 3 range, and although concerns surrounding his injury history and lighter frame may cloud his stock, he has the ability to play and potentially find his way into a starting role on Sundays.

To be clear, Haener won’t be drafted as a starter. While he has above-average arm talent and creation capacity, he doesn’t have the high-level natural talent coveted in early starters. But if you’re looking for a high-quality backup who can hold his own when tasked with spot-starting for long stretches — in the mold of Taylor Heinicke or Mike White — Haener is your guy.

Haener has a passable baseline of physical traits, but the operational components are most impressive on his film. He’s a superb processor who goes through progressions quickly, anticipates windows, throws to receiver leverage, and has great field vision to all three levels. He navigates the pocket well, gets consistent rotation mechanically, and has the toughness, confidence, and clutch ability to make things happen when his team needs a jolt.

His lack of elite traits will put a cap on his ceiling. But Haener is far from a liability as an athlete. At the NFL Combine, he logged a 35″ vertical and a 9’7″ broad jump — both solid numbers — and his 7.01 three-cone time was also very impressive and indicative of the agility Haener has in the pocket.

In a quality backup or spot-starter, you look for passable mobility, steady operational ability, and toughness first. Haener has all of that, and his arm isn’t half bad. He’s a passer who can keep the engine humming and carve out a respectable career for himself in the process.