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Before tossing the football in front of scouts representing 27 different NFL franchises at Fresno State’s Pro Day on Thursday, March 30, Jake Haener was called the lone quarterback draft selection for the Los Angeles Rams by ESPN analyst Jordan Reid — plugging him as a fifth rounder.
While there was no confirmation of a Rams scout or representative in attendance at Valley Children’s Stadium, Haener still did enough to prove he’s a fit for an NFL offense — including the one installed in Thousand Oaks.
The standout Fresno State QB was among the star attractions at the same venue that’s produced names like Derek Carr, Trent Dilfer and David Carr. Haener was given half of the sprint turf for nearly half an hour during FS’s Pro Day and showed his combination of short to intermediate throws to ending with a 50-yard dime.
Haener began his work by showing his roll out touch. Offenses like the Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers commonly use roll outs for their QBs.
Then came the three-step drop from Haener, as he worked with one of his favorite targets Jalen Moreno-Cropper (who also revealed he’s spoken to everybody in the NFL including the Rams).
But then came the play action work. And one of Haener’s most impressive throws was this 40-yard bomb to Nikko Remigio where Haener delivers the play action simulation off his back foot.
And his final pass? This 50-yard connection to Moreno-Cropper that drew claps:
Haener chose not to test in the 40-yard dash, 3-cone and vertical jump along with the rest of the Pro Day events. He instead showed his field work to solidify his case on an NFL roster.
Analysts Have Plugged Haener to the Rams in the Past
Before the NFL Scouting Combine, there were analysts who believed that Haener was a fit for the “Rams House.”
Skyler Carlin of Rams Wire on USA Today was one who wrote on march 3 how Haener “was a name to keep an eye on” regarding the Rams.
“If the Rams do happen to add a quarterback via the draft, Jake Haener out of Fresno State is a name to watch,” Carlin wrote.
Carlin looked past the size dilemma facing Haener as he stands close to 6-foot-1 and weighing 195-pounds — basically having the frame of a late 1980s and early 1990s average wide receiver. Carlin, though, saw Haener’s ability to create plays in chaos which torched defenses in the Mountain West Conference and in 2021, UCLA. Carlin believes Haener is worth working with.
“There’s no doubt that Haener is an undersized quarterback at 6-foot-1 and around 195 pounds, but he does possess solid accuracy at the quarterback position. While he isn’t the most electric athlete, he has enough athleticism that allows him to make plays outside of the pocket and with his legs,” Carlin said. “Sean McVay has shown a tendency of moving his quarterbacks around on play-action plays (outside of Stafford) and Haener is capable of doing that. Haener also doesn’t have the strongest arm, though, getting to work behind Stafford and in McVay’s offensive scheme could be beneficial for the incoming rookie.”
The Athletic’s Rams insider Jourdan Rodrigue was another who mentioned Haener’s name as among the intriguing QB prospects for the Rams in the draft.
AFC West Team, Though, Showing High Interest
Haener told Heavy’s Austin Boyd at the Reese’s Senior Bowl that he has spoken to the Las Vegas Raiders as part of his early pre-draft process.
The Silver and Black had multiple representatives at Haener’s Pro Day — but brought out their biggest guest in offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi.
Lombardi was also seen interacting with Haener’s now former college football head coach Jeff Tedford. The multiple MWC winning head coach is no stranger to producing NFL caliber QBs, though he’s best known for recruiting and discovering a young Aaron Rodgers.
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