3 ideal fits for Hendon Hooker in the 2023 NFL draft
Hendon Hooker was headed toward the Heisman Trophy before an injury. It will surely impact his 2023 NFL draft status and here are three ideal landing spots.
If it wasn’t for a knee injury suffered late in the season, there is a good chance that former Tennessee football quarterback Hendon Hooker would be a first-round draft pick.
Over the past two seasons playing for Tennessee football, he was simply spectacular. Playing in the SEC, the toughest conference in college football, Hendon Hooker completed 68 percent of his passes and threw 58 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions. He also ran for 1,076 yards and 10 touchdowns over the past two seasons.
Hooker isn’t what you would call a running quarterback. But he can run and we have seen time and time again how valuable that can be in the NFL.
Beyond just this season, Hendon Hooker has always been stellar in pushing the ball down the field. His yards per attempt average in college was over nine yards in three of four seasons and in the other, it was 8.9 yards per attempt. That’s elite.
The bottom line is that Hendon Hooker has first-round production and at 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, he’s got the potential to be a Josh-Allen-type weapon.
However, due to the injuries, there are some NFL teams that will likely be able to get him in the second round or maybe later in the first.
According to Ryan Fowler, there are five NFL teams that “met extensively” with Hooker. Those teams are the Giants, Panthers, Saints, Cowboys, and Raiders.
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker has met extensively with the Raiders, Panthers, Giants, Saints, and Cowboys during the pre-draft process, per source.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) February 21, 2023
The dual-threat talent is expected be healthy and ready for training camp after suffering a torn ACL in Nov.
There are some interesting fits there but here’s a look at three teams that should consider targeting Hendon Hooker in the 2023 NFL draft.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints desperately need a young quarterback of the future. It’s been a mess since Drew Brees retired and Andy Dalton isn’t the guy. New Orleans also traded away what would have been a top-10 pick to the Eagles.
The Saints do still have the 30th overall pick and they have an early second-rounder. Both picks could be prime territory for Hendon Hooker. NFL teams are doing to do a deep dive on his health but Fowler reported he would be ready by training camp.
And remember, this pick isn’t about next season. It’s about the future and flat out, the Saints need to find a quarterback in this draft with starter potential and Hendon Hooker could be that guy for relatively cheap in terms of draft capital.