2023 NFL draft: Minnesota Vikings select Jaren Hall in 5th round
Jaren Hall drafted by Minnesota Vikings in 5th round
The BYU quarterback factory strikes again.
Jaren Hall has become the latest Cougar passer to take the leap into the big leagues, being selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of Saturday’s NFL draft with the 164th overall pick.
“Jaren has always been a poised guy,” BYU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Aaron Roderick said. “He’s accurate, a super athlete and he’s smart. He’s going to play a long time in the NFL.”
Hall is the 12th BYU quarterback ever selected in the NFL draft, with he and Zach Wilson becoming the first pair of successive BYU starters to be drafted since Steve Young and Robbie Bosco nearly four decades ago. Hall was also the 12th quarterback taken in this year’s draft, marking the first time in NFL history that 12 quarterbacks were picked in the first five rounds of a draft.
Despite battling various injuries throughout 2022, Hall started every regular season contest and passed for 3,171 yards with 31 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
Hall joins a Vikings team that finished 13-4 in 2022 to win the NFC North title before losing to the New York Giants in the first round of the playoffs. With veteran Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins cemented as Minnesota’s starting quarterback, Hall will compete with journeyman Nick Mullens for the backup position while being mentored by Cousins.
BYU’s first ever Black quarterback, Hall complied a 16-8 record under center and earned the most Power 5 victories of any passer in program history. Hall passed for 6,174 yards with 62 total touchdowns in 24 starts for the Cougars across three seasons, serving as BYU’s primary starter in the 2021-22 campaigns. Hall’s 52 career passing touchdowns rank No. 13 all time at BYU, and his 158.2 passer rating is the fifth-best mark in program history.