The Jets surprised many by making quarterback Christian Hackenberg a second-round draft pick and, in turn, the presumptive eventual starter. Hackenberg became attractive to NFL teams from the moment he showed as a true freshman at Penn State that he could run coach Bill O’Brien’s complex, pro-style offense.
Of course, regression during 2014 and 2015 made Hackenberg less attractive in the draft. But he still did enough in one year with O’Brien to become a second-round draft pick.
Making New York’s decision to draft Hackenberg more intriguing is the connection between O’Brien and Jets G.M. Mike Maccagnan. The two men spent a season together in Houston. So how much did Maccagnan rely on O’Brien in formulating an opinion on Hackenberg?
During a Thursday visit to PFT Live on NBC Sports Radio, Maccagnan declined to delve into those details regarding the homework performed on Hackenberg. (And, perhaps, all that that implies.)
As one league insider said regarding the Maccagnan-Hackenberg connection, “A good scout like Maccagnan would have talked with O’Brien a lot [about Hackenberg] when they actually worked together, not after leaving Houston.”
It’s a great point. And if that’s what Maccagnan did, he already knew what O’Brien thought of Hackenberg long before the player landed on the Jets’ radar screen.
Of course, if O’Brien regarded Hackenberg as a potential franchise quarterback, the Texans could have drafted him instead of paying $18 million per year to Brock Osweiler. That assumes, however, that it was O’Brien’s decision to pay Osweiler instead of hoping to land Hackenberg.
