Kirk Herbstreit thinks that the NFL’s next “Brock Purdy” could come from the west coast.

Purdy, who played at Iowa State, was “Mr. Irrelevant” as the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Purdy, however, was far from “irrelevant” as a rookie. He stepped in for the San Francisco 49ers and led the team to the NFC Championship Game.

Will there be another “Purdy” in the 2023 NFL Draft? Kirk Herbstreit thinks it could be Jake Haener, who began his career at Washington before transferring to Fresno State. Haener was named MVP of Saturday’s Senior Bowl.

Leading up to April’s NFL Draft, much of the QB hype has focused on Alabama’s Bryce Young, Kentucky’s Will Levis, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Florida’s Anthony Richardson. While Haener may not be “Mr. Irrelevant” like Purdy, he could certainly be a late-round value pick.

Haener saw limited playing time in 2 seasons (2017, 2018) with the Huskies. He transferred to Fresno State in 2019, sitting out that season. Over the past 3 seasons, he completed 68.2% of his passes for 9,120 yards and 68 touchdowns to 18 interceptions.