Christian Hackenberg among 5 QBs in the first round? Not as crazy as it seems

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ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said this week that he would be “shocked” if Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg isn’t drafted in the first round later this month. To put it nicely, Gruden’s assessment bucked the more popular media narrative that paints Hackenberg as a broken prospect. There are some, after all, who suggest he shouldn’t be drafted at all.

But I’m always up for challenging convention, and the idea of Hackenberg in the first round raises the possibility of nothing less than a historic event on the evening of April 28. Yes, the NFL is looking at one of the most quarterback-heavy first rounds in any draft. Ever.

Christian Hackenberg’s star has fallen a bit, but the Penn State product could still be drafted in the first round. Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports

We know that Cal’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz will be first-round picks — and probably the first two players chosen overall. Memphis’ Paxton Lynch appears to have positioned himself squarely in the first round as well. Gruden has anointed Michigan State’s Connor Cook as “perhaps” the best quarterback in the draft, and Cook has been gaining (media) momentum as an option later in the round, perhaps for a team that trades back into it.

Add Hackenberg and you have five quarterbacks among the top 31 selections, a rare event that would speak more to the collective desperation of the league than the talent of this class.

NFL First-Round QB Classes

Years with the most quarterbacks selected in the first round since 1935.

Number draftedYear61983519994Six timesSource: Pro Football Reference

Check out the chart. The record for quarterbacks in the first round, dating back to the start of Pro Football Reference’s database in 1937, is the celebrated class of 1983. Of the six …

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