Wes Phillips on the Progress of Vikings Rookie QB Jaren Hall

Hall has a lot to learn at the NFL level, and this offseason program was a big part of that process.

Vikings fifth-round draft pick Jaren Hall has a lot to learn. The transition from college to the NFL is a difficult one for any rookie, but that's especially true at the quarterback position, which requires all kinds of physical and mental work.

So far, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips has been pleased with Hall's progress.

"There's a lot to learn in a short time, but so far he's progressed really well," Phillips said earlier this month at Vikings OTAs. "He's learning how to play in an NFL system. They have a great program at BYU and their system's great for what they do, but there's definitely some different things that he's had to work on with footwork and kind of tying your feet to the reads, which is a little different, I think, than maybe what he's done."

Hall had to balance a couple priorities during the Vikings' offseason program. There's the physical side — mechanics, technique, repetition, things like "tying your feet to the reads" — and then there's the mental side, which involves countless hours studying the playbook to learn the ins and outs of Kevin O'Connell's offense.

Then he had to take what he's learned to the practice field. But because Hall is the No. 3 quarterback, his reps during full-team periods are limited to sessions on the secondary field with other second, third, and fourth-stringers. That means an important part of practice is sticking around afterwards to get in extra work.

"I think for a quarterback to come in and, especially if you're not thrust into the role right away and you're getting limited reps, just to see him out here kind of following Nick Mullens' lead," Phillips said after a practice. "And right now, they're out on the field going through the script, the plays that he did not get, walking through it, even if it's just visualization or mental. He's got young receivers out there right now and they're going through the plays."

Once training camp rolls around, the hope is that Hall will be ready to rock. He'll see more reps during practice and eventually get his first taste of NFL action during the preseason. There's no expectation that he'll see even a single regular season snap as a rookie, but the Vikings want to see continued development from their third quarterback as the year progresses. He's off to a good start.

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