Vikings add QB depth, draft Jaren Hall in 5th round

The Minnesota Vikings selected BYU quarterback Jaren Hall in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 164th overall.

Hall joins a quarterbacks room led by Kirk Cousins, with Nick Mullens penciled in as the primary backup.

The Cougars product threw for 3,171 yards with 31 touchdowns and six interceptions in his last college campaign. He took over the starting job in 2021 after replacing Zach Wilson, whom the New York Jets drafted second overall that year.

Pre-draft profile

Nobody will fault you for hesitating to buy in on another BYU quarterback so soon after The Zach Wilson Experience. The Cougars still make life easy on their signal-callers with a great offensive line - something that helped mask Wilson's shortcomings in college - but Hall is different player. Notably, he demonstrates a level of poise and decision-making that evaded his predecessor in Provo. Hall doesn't have nearly as much arm talent as Wilson, and his size raises reasonable questions about his NFL ceiling. He's also already 25 years old. But there's still plenty to like about his game, including some impressive ball placement, and the ability to make plays with his legs. Hall is our pick for this year's under-the-radar quarterback who could surprise at the next level.