Aug 26, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Jaren Hall (16) rolls out to pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
It wasn’t a perfect performance by any means, and he was up against the Cardinals defense, but for barely seeing the field during joint practices, I thought there were several positive takeaways from Jaren Hall on Saturday.
He was well off the mark on a deep throw early in the second half, but overall, his accuracy was much better than I anticipated. Hall consistently hit open receivers downfield, particularly in important situations such as the last drive of the first half.
Pocket presence was up and down but mainly good. From his BYU days, we know he has a natural ability to roll out in both directions and deliver the ball accurately. We saw that today. When he had time, Hall was poised in the pocket.
For the most part, Hall could escape pressure and scramble effectively, but he had trouble with some blitzes, which ultimately resulted in six sacks. The positive takeaway here is he didn’t make any horrible decisions, and there’s no question that ID’ing blitzes is something he can get better at with more playing time.
I’d argue a common miscommunication caused his interception/misread with the tight end. You often see this from NFL starters, so it’s not something to be worried about.
The little things seem promising, like recovering a fumbled snap, rolling out away from pressure, and delivering a pass for a short gain.
It’s still too early for any concrete opinions on Hall, but I will say I had way more fun watching him today than Nick Mullens in joint practices. After Saturday’s performance, I’d be shocked if Hall doesn’t end up on the final 53.