Add Another Onto the Pile: Vikings Announce 1 More Draft Pick Signing
K. Joudry
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Well, that was fast. After learning about Mekhi Blackmon agreeing to a deal, we saw the Vikings announce that they’ve come to terms with QB Jaren Hall, as well.
A 5th-round selection, Hall will carry a modest cap hit. The projection on Over the Cap says it’ll be roughly $820,000 in 2023. As a result, the team’s cap space will be unaffected.
Officially adding Hall means the team now only has a pair of rookie picks outstanding: WR Jordan Addison and RB DeWayne McBride. The 7th-round RB should be pretty straightforward since his deal won’t impact the purple budget. The WR, on the other hand, carries a 2023 hit that will require extra room.
Addison is estimated to have a cap hit just under $2.5 million (cap room the team doesn’t currently have). The team can create space by leaning on a Brian O’Neill restructure alongside an extension for T.J. Hockenson or Danielle Hunter (or both). Plus, there could even be some sort of reworked deal for Za’Darius Smith to stick around town. Keeping Smith would give the Vikings a shot at having a sensational pass rushing department.
Vikings Announce a Signing
Back to Hall.
The former BYU QB is gunning for the primary backup job. His most direct competition is Nick Mullens.
Kirk Cousins is secure in his status as the QB1 for the upcoming season. The only factor capable of knocking him off that perch is injury or suspension. Since he has never dealt with any of that, Cousins is a safe bet to be under center for essentially all of 2023.
Meanwhile, Hall will be looking to prove he can be the team’s QB2. Take a peak at what the NFL’s website had to say about him leading up to the draft:
In 2019, Hall missed time with concussions but started two times in seven games played (31-46-67.4, 420 yards, one TD passing; 29-139-4.8, three TD rushing). He also played baseball for BYU in 2019 and 2020, though he missed the 2020 football season with a hip injury. Hall again missed games in 2021 with a rib injury but managed to start 10 contests (189-296-63.9, 2,583 yards, 20 TD, five INT passing; 62-307-5.0, three TD rushing). He was the full-time starter in 2022 (248-376-66.0, 3,171 yards, 31 TD, six INT passing; 86-348-4.1, three TD rushing) but missed the New Mexico Bowl with an ankle injury.
The sense one gets is that Hall is a mature QB who could very reasonably develop into a rock-solid player. The greatest physical gifts in the world? No, not exactly, but someone capable of succeeding in the right environment.
His NFL journey is just beginning. Hopefully, he’ll be able to find more injury luck in the next phase of his career, allowing him to fully reach his potential at the next level.
