2016 NFL Draft: Good Picks vs. Bad Picks for the San Francisco 49ers
By Peter Panacy
Bad Fit: Quarterback Christian Hackenberg, Penn State
Alright, back to the quarterback position — notice a trend on how scrutinized this position is?
The 49ers may pass on a quarterback with their first couple of picks and, in reality, it might not be a bad idea to do so. Addressing other areas of need could easily be seen as a priority. To put it simply for you, “fix the car before you find an expert driver.”
If this is the case, and the Niners go this route, Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg could be a quarterbacking prospect the 49ers consider. He’s a late second- or early third-round pick, according to CBS Sports. And his 6’4″, 223-pound frame makes him look more the part of an NFL-caliber signal-caller.
Hackenberg is also a proven leader both on the field and within the locker room. He’s durable as well — making 38 starts over his three-year collegiate career.
But there are more than enough downsides, as pointed out by Dane Brugler of CBS Sports, who compared him to Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler:
"Nonexistent feel or awareness in the pocket, struggling to navigate himself around the noise. Slow to process and late reading coverages due to questionable vision. Immature eye use, staring down targets and predetermining throws, which leads to inexplicable decisions. Wasn’t consistently asked to make whole field reads or work sideline-to-sideline in his progressions. Confidence needs rebuilt. Too relaxed and needs to show more urgency from snap to release. Highly inconsistent ball placement and downfield touch, struggling to control his ball speeds. Upper and lower half mechanics are often on different pages, affecting his overall accuracy. Doesn’t need to drive his hips to add zip on throws, but improved follow through motion will help his precision. Methodical set-up and delivery, but often out of rhythm."
On top of that, Hackenberg was sacked 39 times last year — a rate similar to what was experienced by 49ers quarterbacks in 2015.
Pocket awareness is something with which head coach Chip Kelly will stress regardless who is under center in 2016 and beyond. Hackenberg has yet to establish that.
As a long-term, developmental option, Hackenberg is a “maybe” at best. Although initial review suggests he might be best suited as a backup and not exactly as a starter.
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And yet, maybe, the 49ers see some potential. He does have some pro-style attributes, with which the 49ers may see some benefit. Any quarterback, regardless of the draft position, will likely be groomed in an attempt to give the franchise some time to determine their long-term goals.
Yet Hackenberg hasn’t consistently demonstrated the ability to rectify the problems seen thus far. Such a selection, even if it’s early in Round 3, may wind up being a wasted pick.
Next: 2016 NFL Draft: 49ers Quarterback Big Board
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated. Supplemental draft information courtesy of CBS Sports.