One second-round pick. Two years. Zero NFL plays. That just about sums up the young career of Penn State product Christian Hackenberg.
Strangely enough, despite the fact the New York Jets finally made the move to send Hack packing—traded to the Oakland Raiders for a conditional seventh-round selection on Tuesday—head coach Todd Bowles reveals no regrets surrounding the selection, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
“Anytime a pick doesn’t work out I guess you can look at it as a waste,” Bowles said in comments distributed by the team. “When a pick does work out, it is not a waste. You learn lessons from everything you do in life. It isn’t just football and draft picks. If anyone has a four-leaf clover up their butt and it is going to work out every time please let me know that person because hey, it didn’t work out here.”
Hackenberg, 23, was drafted 51st overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by Mike Maccagnan and the Jets. During the two seasons he was basically red-shirted, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh McCown represented the starting quarterbacks. Even fourth-round quarterback Bryce Petty received play over the Lehighton, Pennsylvania kid.
Of course, he's now Bay Area-bound.
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has long enjoyed Hackenberg as a project and landed him on Tuesday after surrendering a measly 2019 conditional seventh-round pick. He'll be thrust into a depth chart with young Derek Carr securely safe as the starting quarterback and both Connor Cook and EJ Manuel battling out with the newest former ex-Jet.
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