2016 NFL Draft Film Review: Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State University

Christian Hackenberg | QB | Penn State | 6’4″ 220 lbs.

Games Watched: Penn State vs. Nebraska (2013), Penn State vs. Syracuse (2013), Penn State vs. Ohio State (2014), Penn State vs. Central Florida (2014), Penn State vs. Massachusetts (2014), Penn State vs. Temple (2014), Penn State vs. Northwestern (2014)

*All games watched courtesy of Draft Breakdown

Strengths:
-Ideal size
-Very strong arm, can make every throw with ease
-High football I.Q., made a lot of reads in a very pro-style offense as a freshman
-Great at precisely going through his progressions
-Terrific accuracy and ball placement when he’s on his game
-Showed a ton of poise and composure behind a bad offensive line last season
-Good feel for pressure
-“Plus” mobility and athleticism
-LeaderWeaknesses
-Can try to do too much at times
-Accuracy sometimes is sporadically streaky
-Flat out didn’t see/recognize defenders at times and threw some interceptions because of it
-Regressed in 2014

Bottom Line: Hackenberg is my number one quarterback right now, but a lot can change in a year. At times, he reminds me of Andrew Luck as a prospect with his combination of size, arm talent, intelligence, poise, leadership, “plus” mobility and experience in a pro-style offense. However, there are streaks where he is far closer to a Jay Cutler-like gunslinger than Andrew Luck. Christian Hackenberg must get back to his freshman form, get a little more consistent with his ball placement and win some more games in 2015.

NFL Draft Diamonds

NFL Draft

2016 NFL Draft Film Review: Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State University