Getty Former New York Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberg in 2017.
The New York Jets and New York Mets franchises tend to share a good chunk of fans, and a major Mets rival just drafted the brother of former NYJ quarterback bust Christian Hackenberg.
The Atlanta Braves Twitter account relayed the news, informing: “With the 59th pick in the 2023 #MLBDraft, the Atlanta Braves select Drue Hackenberg!” Ironically, the 21-year-old brother of Christian is also known for his arm, being that he’s a right-handed pitching prospect out of Virginia Tech.
Drue Hackenberg was the No. 200 prospect on the MLB Top 250 list. He went 5-8 with a 5.70 ERA for the Hokies in 2023 but was better the season before with a 10-2 record and a 3.30 ERA. Hackenberg also struck out 9.4 batters per every nine innings over his college career, with a WHIP of 1.421.
Christian Hackenberg Was One of the Biggest QB Busts the Jets Have Ever Drafted
Jets & Mets fans might be hoping Drue Hackenberg turns out just like his brother did in New York, considering the Braves current standing in the MLB.
A former second-round selection during the Mike Maccagnan era, Christian Hackenberg may go down as one of the worst QB busts the Jets have ever drafted. After all, it’s extremely rare that a premium-round signal-caller never appears in a single NFL game.
That wasn’t due to injury either — the Penn State product was just that poor in practice and the preseason period that coaches didn’t feel comfortable putting him out there during two 5-11 campaigns. After lasting inside the NYJ organization for two full seasons from 2016 through spring of 2018, Hackenberg was finally traded to the Oakland Raiders.
They retrieved a conditional seventh-round pick back for the failed QB, although that compensation was not conveyed being that the Raiders cut Hackenberg after a couple of months on the roster from May to June.
He rounded out his NFL career inside the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals organizations, but didn’t get any action there either.
Hackenberg did eventually suit up for the Alliance of American Football league with the Memphis Express in 2019. He started three games, completing 51.6 percent of passes for just 277 yards and three interceptions, while also rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown. Memphis benched him for Zach Mettenberger in Week 3, ending his playing career as a quarterback once and for all.
Jets, Zach Wilson May Have Tight Window to Resurrect NYJ Career
It’s a little different because Zach Wilson did win some games for the Jets, but his current goal should be to resurrect his NYJ career so that he’s not remembered alongside the Hackenbergs of their history.
And considering he was the No. 2 overall pick during a draft with Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, he certainly could be if things continue to trend south. Aaron Rodgers is a nice respite for everyone involved — including Wilson — but it’s fair to wonder what comes after the future Hall of Famer, whether that’s in 2024 or sometime after that.
Right now, the hope is that Wilson picks up a thing or two and regains his confidence — a factor that may be more crucial than anything else.
If he doesn’t, it’s back to square one for Gang Green. Would they dare draft another QB prospect? Or perhaps they should continue down the veteran path by luring in a successor to Rodgers via free agency or trade.
Wilson’s rookie contract ends after the 2024 campaign. However, there is an expensive fifth-year option on the table that could extend his deal through 2025.
Either way, that’s an incredibly tight window for Wilson to make something happen, and any sort of longevity out of Rodgers would snuff out that opportunity altogether.