Getty Former BYU quarterback Jaren Hall in 2022.
The Kansas City Chiefs just signed veteran backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert, but they may not be done adding to the QB room according to The Athletic’s NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler.
During his first official seven-round mock of the 2023 offseason, Brugler predicted that KC would select BYU signal-caller Jaren Hall in round four (pick No. 122) — and apparently, this was a sourced projection, not some sort of guesswork.
“The BYU connection between Andy Reid and Hall is a fun story, but I’m told the Chiefs ‘love’ Hall’s skill set,” Brugler explained. “Kansas City understands the importance of the backup quarterback, so much so that the Chiefs might even make this pick a round earlier.”
How about that for a prediction?! Hall in round three (or four) after an MVP campaign and Super Bowl run from Patrick Mahomes II sounds wild on paper, but this wouldn’t be a move to replace the superstar QB — obviously — it’d be a move to replace Chad Henne long-term. The Gabbert signing does not do that, and Hall just might.
In his all-inclusive draft guide (“The Beast”), Brugler described Hall as a “cerebral, dual-threat passer with above average control and efficiency in his process.” He also noted that he has “NFL backup potential in an RPO-based, play-action offense.”
How BYU’s Jaren Hall Fits Into Chiefs QB Room
Clearly, the Chiefs aren’t 100% confident in Shane Buechele as their backup quarterback in 2023 and beyond. If they were, they would not have gone after Gabbert.
Now, we don’t know the veteran’s contract details just yet, so who knows if Gabbert was given guaranteed money or not, but we do know he’s not a long-term solution at 34 years old. Buechele might not be the answer either — with no NFL experience to judge him on outside of preseason.
Then there’s Chris Oladokun, an undrafted free agent that looks to be a very raw talent with even less experience than Buechele.
If Coach Reid and general manager Brett Veach see the backup QB role as a priority — and all signs say that they do — why not draft Hall and create a three- or four-man competition in August (depending on if you keep Oladokun)? Mahomes is recovering from an ankle injury anyway, so there might be more reps than usual in training camp.
The BYU product also fits the mold of a very competent QB2 at the NFL level.
Potential Chiefs Draft Target Jaren Hall Compared to Premier Backup QB Gardner Minshew
NFL Network scouting expert Lance Zierlein compared Hall to Gardner Minshew, a player that has become one of the most reliable backup quarterbacks in the game today.
“An undersized pocket quarterback with unimpressive arm strength, Hall’s field command gives him a shot to make it at the next level,” Zierlein detailed. “He throws with excellent ball placement to targets on the move and delivers a feathery soft deep ball with accuracy. His lack of drive velocity creates smaller margins for error and his timing needs to be impeccable to beat NFL man coverage. Hall operates with ideal poise from the pocket. He does an adequate job of reading coverages and getting rid of the ball without taking sacks.”
While “the size and arm strength will concern some teams,” Zierlein made it clear that “offenses operating out of heavy play-action with levels-based route concepts could target him as a solid future backup” — similar to Brugler’s assessment. That fits Kansas City’s M.O.
Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network seconded Zierlein’s opinion, determining that Hall should be a “long-term backup quarterback” as a “worst-case scenario.”
Crabbs praised Hall’s “live arm,” plus athleticism, “creative playstyle” and “A+ intangibles and football character” — showing a little more faith in his starting potential than Zierlein. He even described the former Cougar as a “discount Kyler Murray.”
All of these traits make perfect sense for Mahomes’ future backup, even if Gabbert sticks around as the short-term solution. There are no free rides in the NFL, and both Buechele and Oladokun could be fighting for their job if the Chiefs decide to go this route in 2023.
P.S. Brugler mocked an exciting new edge rusher/wide receiver combo to KC in rounds one and two of his seven-round behemoth.