Five Best NFL Landing Spots For BYU Quarterback Jaren Hall
Apr 23, 2023, 2:58 PM | Updated: Apr 24, 2023, 11:21 am
PROVO, Utah – Many local collegiate football players are hoping to have their names called in the upcoming NFL Draft that begins on April 27th.
After going 8-5 in 2022, the BYU Cougars are hopeful that as many as four players will be drafted.
BYU is having great success in the NFL right now with guys like Tyler Allgeier, Fred Warner, and others becoming household names.
Will Blake Freeland, Puka Nacua, or Jaren Hall become the next great BYU player in the NFL?
Insightful advice from former #BYU QB Jaren Hall to young athletes who are considering serving a mission for the Church.#BYUFootball #NFL pic.twitter.com/qjUoQZOZj5
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) April 13, 2023
Where those players get drafted will play a large role in the success they have at the next level.
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Below are what I believe are the five best landing spots in the NFL for the BYU quarterback.
Kansas City Chiefs
There may not be a better destination in the NFL for Jaren Hall.
Super Bowl champion, and former BYU offensive lineman Andy Reid has become one of the best quarterback coaches in the history of the NFL.
He developed Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia, who became the franchise leader in passing yards, touchdowns, and completions.
Once he became the coach of the Chiefs, Reid resurrected the career of Alex Smith before turning Patrick Mahomes into an MVP and the face of the league.
Coach Reid surprised a group of students touring the stadium today and couldn’t pass up the opportunity 🤣 pic.twitter.com/5diJYbg7tK
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) April 21, 2023
Yes, if drafted to Kansas City, Jaren Hall would sit behind one of the league’s best quarterbacks.
However, the opportunity to learn behind Mahomes and Reid could set Hall up for a lengthy NFL career.
The Chiefs are in desperate need of a backup quarterback with previous backup Chad Henne announcing retirement after last season.
They recently signed journeyman quarterback Blaine Gabbert, but I believe that Jaren Hall would win the backup job over Gabbert if drafted to Kansas City.
Nobody can replicate the magic of Mahomes, but you can see some similarities between him and Hall.
Kansas City hasn’t had a backup behind Mahomes who could come in, if needed, and run the same playbook.
Hall could be that guy.
Perhaps the visit last fall by Andy Reid to BYU was just more than a bye-week vacation to Utah County.
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Los Angeles Rams
After winning the Super Bowl in 2022, the Rams fell off a cliff due to a lack of depth and a rash of injuries.
Current quarterback Matthew Stafford has only played a full season twice in the last four years.
He’s also 35 years old.
I believe the Rams are looking for a quarterback in this draft that could become the next franchise quarterback.
Even though the Rams are coming off a disappointing season going 5-12, they still have head coach Sean McVay.
McVay has a great track record of developing quarterbacks.
Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, and Stafford can thank McVay for helping them sign massive deals with their respective teams.
Hall could provide the Rams with a type of quarterback they’ve never had.
The league has been trending toward dual-threat quarterbacks for several years now, and Hall fits that mold.
Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott is the current quarterback of “America’s Team,” but for how much longer?
He struggled in a playoff loss against the San Francisco 49ers last season throwing three costly interceptions.
If he continues to struggle and the Cowboys don’t see success in the playoffs, it’s not inconceivable to see owner Jerry Jones make a change at quarterback.
The current backup is Cooper Rush, who was re-signed on a two-year deal.
Perhaps there is an opportunity here for Hall to become the next quarterback in Dallas.
He would need to beat out Rush for the backup job, which isn’t unrealistic.
Let’s not forget a similar situation happened back when Prescott was a rookie.
He was a fourth-round draft pick out of Mississippi State.
Nobody saw him taking over for Tony Romo, but injuries opened the door and Prescott seized the moment.
One thing that concerns me about Jaren Hall getting picked by Dallas is the coaching situation.
Former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was fired in favor of Brian Schottenheimer, who was an analyst on the Cowboys staff last season.
The last thing you want to see for a quarterback is an unstable coaching situation.
Just ask Alex Smith from his days in San Francisco.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks were the surprise of the NFL last season after trading Russell Wilson and somehow finding a way into the playoffs.
Geno Smith resurrected his career by throwing for over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdown passes.
He was rewarded with a three-year deal worth up to 75 million dollars.
Only smiles from @GenoSmith3. 😁 pic.twitter.com/jExnd4DICw
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 21, 2023
Is he the future in Seattle? Only time will tell.
One thing we do know is Pete Carroll and the Seahawks had great success with a smaller mobile quarterback.
Russell Wilson was a third-round draft pick who led Seattle to several Super Bowls.
Maybe Jaren Hall could be the next dual-threat quarterback in the Pacific Northwest.
The Geno Smith deal gives the Seahawks flexibility to make a quarterback change if he can’t continue his stellar play from last season.
Seattle is a young team with an ascending offensive line. It would be a nice landing spot for Hall as a backup quarterback.
Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins has been the Viking’s starting quarterback for five seasons now.
None of those seasons have ended with Minnesota being a threat to win the Super Bowl.
Second-year head coach Kevin O’Connell comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree.
He was with McVay and the Rams when they won the Super Bowl in 2022.
Minnesota hired him with the hope that he could help Cousins like McVay helped Stafford.
The most wins (13) by a first-year head coach in team history. 👍 pic.twitter.com/gSUnPwXfC1
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 6, 2023
The only other Viking quarterback on the roster right now is Nick Mullens.
Putting it simply, the Vikings need another quarterback and there is a very good chance the player they take will be the next franchise quarterback.
I can’t think of a better situation for a young quarterback.
Justin Jefferson is arguably the best receiver in the NFL and they added tight end T.J. Hockenson at the trade deadline last year.
They have weapons to go along with an offensive-minded coach.
This would be a great landing spot for Hall.
Fit is everything in the NFL. Very few are able to overcome dysfunctional situations. Just ask Zach Wilson in New York or John Beck when he was with the Miami Dolphins.
Hopefully, Jaren Hall finds himself in a quarterback-friendly situation when the dust settles from the 2023 NFL draft.
You can hear Matt Baiamonte every Saturday on KSL Newsradio for Cougar Sports Saturday from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or you can find him on Twitter here.
