Jets' Hackenberg: I've 'Buried' Draft Day Criticism, Moving Forward
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Christian Hackenberg obviously was aware of the mixed reviews about the Jets' decision to draft him in the second round last week. But he insists he's not spending any time thinking about his critics.
"I kind of buried that, so it's a fresh start," the former Penn State quarterback told reporters Friday as the Jets opened their weekend rookie minicamp. "Really excited about moving forward and doing what I need to do here."
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One of the knocks on Hackenberg entering the draft was his accuracy. His completion percentage with the Nittany Lions fell from 58.9 percent to 55.8 to 53.5 over his three seasons.
But he said he believes he has the accuracy to be successful on the NFL level.
"I'm confident in what I can do," Hackenberg said. "(But) understanding that we've got to get better in some areas, and I've got to get better in my own areas. And I'm ready to focus on that and get in here and get to work with this guys."
He said a quarterback's mechanics overall are always a work in progress.
"I think it's one of those things where you just continue to get better at every little thing and not get complacent as a quarterback," Hackenberg said. "I don't think there's any guy, if you talk to any quarterback, that would say that they're great at something. You need to continue to get working. So that's my view on it, and that's what it's probably going to be always."
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As for his new surroundings in Florham Park, Hackenberg said: "I really like the mojo we've got going on right now. I really like the vibe."
Hackenberg is one of three quarterbacks on the Jets' roster, and the team is still trying to re-sign last year's starter, Ryan Fitzpatrick. Unless a deal is worked out with Fitzpatrick before, Geno Smith will enter offseason practices as the starter, and second-year player Bryce Petty is expected to be the No. 2 QB.
