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The Cleveland Browns hosted former Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener for a visit on Wednesday, another sign that they’re looking for an upgrade on their depth chart.
Haener is the third quarterback draft prospect the Browns have looked at in recent days, the others being Dorian Thompson-Robinson out of UCLA and Clayton Tune, who played at Houston. Those visits point to the Browns wanting to improve their long-term quarterback depth behind Deshaun Watson.
Billy Marshall was the first to report Haener’s visit.
Joshua Dobbs will more than likely be the primary backup on Sundays to Watson but the team has also kept former Vikings third-round pick Kellen Mond on the roster after claiming him prior to last season. If the team selects a quarterback in the later rounds, they’d part ways with Mond.
QB Prospect Jake Haener Praised for High Football IQ
Haener is coming off a terrific year at Frenso State. He was a first-team All-Mountain West selection, completing a whopping 72% of his passes for 2,896 yards, 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 10 starts.
What is keeping Haener from being one of the top prospects in the draft is his physical abilities and questions about how he’ll fit in at the NFL level.
Here’s the breakdown on Haener from NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein:
Team captain with below-average size and arm talent, but above-average football IQ. Haener plays with a pre-snap plan and does a nice job of getting the ball out quickly against the blitz. He senses edge pressure and slides to find a new location to throw from. He doesn’t have the drive velocity to successfully window shop and might require a timing-based scheme or spread attack where he can make quick throws in rhythm. Haener’s lack of traits, coupled with limited mobility outside the pocket, create a challenging road to NFL success.
Haener is projected to be a Day 3 pick in the draft but helped his stock at the Senior Bowl, garnering MVP honors. He knows there might be some doubts about his fit at the next level but isn’t sweating it.
“I love proving the doubters wrong,” Haener said. “I love the motivation. I love the passion that it brings me. Keep coming with it, man.”
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson Better Fit as Deshaun Watson Backup
If the Browns were to look to the draft for a developmental quarterback option, Thompson-Robinson appears to be a better fit due to his athleticism that could mirror Watson’s.
Thompson-Robinson is a long-term developmental prospect for the Browns but was an explosive player at UCLA. He passed for 3,154 yards and 27 touchdowns last season with 10 interceptions. Thompson-Robinson added 646 yards on the ground with another dozen touchdowns.
The Browns also met with Thompson-Robinson at the combine, so the firm interest has been established. Like Haener, he’s not worried about where the draft projections show him going.
“You can’t really control things outside your control,” Thompson-Robinson told The Los Angeles Times.
Dobbs returned to the Browns this offseason to be the backup to Watson but he’s on just a one-year deal and the could potentially compete for a starting spot somewhere down the line.
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