Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker a potentially special NFL Draft prospect despite injury

Hendon Hooker seemed to be having a Heisman Trophy-esque season for the Tennessee Volunteers in 2022. An ACL tear in November ruined that season for Hooker and potentially took the senior's NFL Draft hopes with it.

Hooker's NFL dreams are far from over, though, and it sounds like he's been rehabbing and healing up well enough that a quarterback-hungry team could take a chance on him higher than expected despite the fact that he's coming off a significant injury.

In fact, Hooker, who was invited to the Senior Bowl but won't play, says he hopes he'll be healthy and ready to play by the time NFL training camps roll around.

He also thinks he'll come back as a better player.

"It will be a better version of Hendon Hooker, the best we've seen yet," he said, via ESPN's Pete Thamel.

If that prediction comes true, some lucky NFL team is going to be happy it took a flyer on the 6-foot-4, 218-pound quarterback.

He has the size and arm strength to be a great pro-style quarterback. He stands tall in the pocket and really zips his throws when he's able to step into them. His abilities to run and throw on the run add plenty of reason to believe he can be successful at the next level.

For Hooker, this time away from the field has also allowed him to focus on the intangibles of playing quarterback, like what goes on between a player's ears when the ball is snapped. He clearly believes that can be an X-factor and allow him to be the complete package for an NFL team.

"I feel great," Hooker explained. "I'm moving around. I'm excited to get back to my regular self. My cerebral side has elevated to a whole other level. I'm continuing to build that and my leadership skills and communication skills. I'll have that chip on my shoulder whenever I get back."

Hooker threw for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns with just two interceptions in 2022 while also rushing for 430 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.