Why BYU's Jaren Hall could be an NFL draft QB riser: Strengths, weaknesses

The BYU football program hasn't had a shortage of top-tier quarterbacks over the past 50 years, and Jaren Hall appears set to join Jim McMahon, Steve Young and Zach Wilson in the Cougars' long lineage of impressive signal-callers. The 2023 NFL draft prospect looks to build on his hot start to the season with another standout performance on Thursday night against Utah State (8 p.m. ET on ESPN).

Hall has completed 71.5% of his passes through four games this season, throwing for 1,164 yards, nine touchdowns and just one interception. He broke out last season despite multiple injuries — including cracked ribs and a foot injury — and threw 20 TD passes, and he's now on scout's radar for next April's draft.

The 2023 quarterback class has been hyped plenty this fall, but Hall is rarely mentioned alongside the top names. Could Hall emerge as a potential NFL starter? The next three weeks will be crucial for his pro evaluation, starting with this matchup against the Aggies. Then BYU meets Notre Dame and Arkansas in what promises to be exciting showdowns. If Hall plays well during this stretch and unlocks the next stage of his development, he could be one of the biggest quarterback risers in the 2023 draft class.

Let's take a look at where Hall excels and still needs work, along with how he stacks up against other draft-eligible QBs and which NFL passer he compares to best.

Processing ability: One of the strongest points of Hall's game is his ability to decipher and attack defenses. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior already runs many pro-level passing concepts. The Cougars' offense incorporates a lot of wide-open formations that enable him to spread defenses out and demonstrate his ability to read out the step-by-step process of