Jake Haener, quarterback, Fresno State
New Orleans wasn’t done trading, as it sent a seventh-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for pick No. 127. After moving up, the Saints added to their quarterback room, selecting Haener.
The 5-11 Haener was named First Team All-Mountain West in 2022 — he tossed 20 touchdowns to just three interceptions last season in 10 games played with a 72.0 completion percentage. For his career, Haener completed 68.2% of his passes for more than 9,000 yards and 68 touchdowns.
The quarterback began his collegiate career with the Washington Huskies in 2018 before transferring to Fresno State.
“I’ve had to prove people wrong my entire career, and I’ve had to outwork everybody,” Haener said. “There’s still a lot in the tank, and I couldn’t be more excited to get to New Orleans.”
One of the draws to the quarterback is his efficiency. Haener said it’s important for him to have a strong pre-snap IQ, knowing where his outlets are when things break down.
“That all comes from preparation,” Haener said. “The first things I do when I get to camp, obviously dive into the playbook and do everything I can to know where to go with the football and eliminate so much thinking.”
Haener joins another former Bulldog in the Saints’ QB room — starting quarterback Derek Carr was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Fresno State. Playing at Fresno State allowed Haener to develop a relationship with Carr, saying the quarterback has been a sounding board.
Shortly after getting the call from New Orleans, Haener had a conversation with Carr, and he said he’s excited to get to learn from him.
“It’s so surreal, I can’t even put it into words right now,” Haener said. “How many times does an opportunity like this happen, and you get to learn from an all-time great at the same school you played at playing in the same NFL team? I’m just really speechless.”
Haener also grew up idolizing another Saints quarterback: He wears No. 9 because of Drew Brees. He said he knew he was never going to be a tall quarterback — his mom is 5-4 and his dad is 5-10 — and he wanted to find someone to emulate. That was Brees.
“The Saints were my childhood team growing up because I loved watching Nine play,” Haener said. “It’s just so unbelievable that I literally would wear Drew Brees jerseys and wear Saints beanies, and having the opportunity to go play in New Orleans is really going to be a dream come true.”
Haener had the chance to…
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