The New Orleans Saints seem to have found themselves a diamond in the rough at quarterback with their fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Saints selected Fresno State's Jake Haener- and after hearing assistant general manager and college scouting director Jeff Ireland speak about the NFL Draft pick, it quickly became apparent why they made that decision.
Ireland and the Saints see some similarities between Haener and Drew Brees, the greatest quarterback in franchise history. Here's what Ireland had to say, per Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune.
“You wouldn’t think he was 6-foot tall when you watch him,” Ireland said of Haener. “He’s got great processing ability. He’s got great vision. He’s got a quick stroke. He’s extremely smart. He’s a sixth-year senior, so he’s really mature for being a college senior. He’s competed in two different programs, he’s competed at Washington, competed at Fresno State. And I was just really impressed with the person, how he plays. He’s had several fourth-quarter comebacks. He does kind of remind you or there’s some similarities to No. 9.”
Not only are Haener and Brees the same height, but they also drew rave reviews for their supreme accuracy as college passers.
Brees, of course, set Big Ten records as a quarterback at Purdue.
Meanwhile, Haener recorded the highest career completion percentage in Fresno State history during his three years as a starter.
Add in Haener's propensity for making fourth quarter comebacks and it's no surprise that Brees crossed the Saints assistant GM's mind when evaluating the NFL Draft prospect.
Brees comparison or not, Haener won't be seeing the field anytime soon with Derek Carr in town.
But the Saints have an exciting quarterback for the future- and one who might just compare to the greatest signal-caller in franchise history.
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