Two of the most illustrious quarterbacks in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, headlined Super Bowl LVII. Both signal callers fared exceptionally well, frequently making incredible off-schedule plays while showcasing their elite athleticism. In the video below, Mahomes is able to evade pressure from Ndamukong Suh by ducking under right guard Trey Smith before escaping the pocket and gaining first-down yardage.
The Philadelphia Eagles did a great job of playing to Hurts’ strengths in the Super Bowl, often putting him in situations where he can use his legs. This play is the perfect example of that. In the video below, the Eagles call a power run play for Hurts on first-and-goal from the four-yard line that resulted in a walk-in touchdown. Philly was able to call the same plays on offense, and Kansas City couldn’t do much to stop them from succeeding, even when they knew it was coming – which must’ve been demoralizing for the Chiefs’ defense.
These unorthodox plays aren’t isolated occurrences either. Mahomes has made a living scrambling out of the pocket and making no-look sidearm passes. Philadelphia built its offense around Hurts’ abilities as a runner. A big reason why the Indianapolis Colts hired former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their new head coach is his ability to create a system that is conducive to developing young quarterbacks.
This year’s Super Bowl is proof that you need an athlete under center who is capable of making plays off-schedule. Kirk Cousins doesn’t have what it takes to carry the Minnesota Vikings to a championship. That’s not to say you can’t win a Super Bowl with Cousins under center, but everything on offense needs to go exactly as planned for that to happen. That’s not a realistic outcome in the NFL. If the Vikings fancy themselves as serious contenders, they need someone who can use their athleticism to elevate the team around them.
BYU quarterback Jaren Hall fits that mold. Hall was a dual-sport athlete in high school who played football and baseball. His game is similar to Kyler Murray’s, except he’s slightly taller and probably worse at Call of Duty. Athleticism aside, Hall possesses some positive traits that a team can build upon.
With the Cougars, Hall did a respectable job of minimizing turnovers, throwing 52 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions. He also did a decent job of going through his progressions, a sign that he may be capable of running a pro-style offense. Unlike former BYU star Zach Wilson, Hall has been praised for his maturity off the field, which is especially important at the quarterback position.
However, Hall differs from Murray in pedigree and age. Kyler won a Heisman Trophy and was the No. 1-ranked quarterback in his draft class. On the other hand, Hall isn’t even projected to go in the first round. He also has dealt with his fair share of injuries during his collegiate career and turns 25 in March. Despite his advanced age, Hall will need time to develop before he’s ready to be a starter in the NFL.
That shouldn’t be a problem for the Minnesota Vikings, who would be a great landing spot for Hall. Kevin O’Connell is a former quarterback the New England Patriots drafted in the third round, so he has some insight on what it’s like being a young backup quarterback with high expectations. Hall could be taken on Day 2 in the draft and may end up being in a similar situation that O’Connell was in when he entered the league.
The Vikings also have an established starter at quarterback in Cousins, who is under contract for at least another year. Teams don’t often have the luxury of having an established quarterback who can win games as a starter while simultaneously developing a high-upside quarterback who could be the future of the franchise. Rick Spielman had the right idea by drafting a high-upside, mid-round quarterback in Kellen Mond, even though it didn’t work out.
There’s no guarantee that Jaren Hall is the next Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, or even Kyler Murray. The NFL draft is a crapshoot when it comes to finding a franchise quarterback. For every Cam Newton there’s two Andy Daltons and five flavors of Christian Ponder. That being said, Jaren Hall has an incredibly high ceiling, and the Vikings shouldn’t be afraid to find Cousins’ eventual successor. Who knows, maybe the Minnesota gets lucky and finds the next Mahomes. They’ll never know unless they try.
