Scout's analysis: Strengths, weaknesses of Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker
Drae Harris played collegiately at California and worked in NFL scouting departments for the Cardinals, Chiefs and Browns. (Go here for all Harris' scouting reports.)
A redshirt senior who began his career at Virginia Tech, Hooker completed his college career at Tennessee, where he was 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, a Second-Team All-American (CBS Sports) and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
In 11 games before a knee injury ended his 2022 season, Hooker completed 229-of-329 passes for 3,135 yards and 27 TDs.
Strengths: Hooker, who measured 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, has good athleticism and is a threat to the defense with his legs when a play breaks down.
Hooker throws with good timing, particularly on throws in the short to intermediate range.
He has decent pocket presence and can feel the rush and climb the pocket while still keeping his eyes down field. He has good arm strength and played in an offense that highlighted his outstanding ability to throw the deep ball with touch and accuracy.
He did an outstanding job of maintaining a high completion percentage (68% and 69.6% at Tennessee) and high yards per attempt (9.5 for career), as well as limiting turnovers (12 interceptions for career).
Weaknesses: A number of factors make his transition to the NFL problematic. He's coming off an ACL injury to his left knee and may not be ready for on-field work until his second year in the NFL. When he escapes the pocket, his ball placement passing suffers, and he loses accuracy. Additionally, he must learn to protect himself better.
Tennessee often threw deep, but it appears there aren't many concepts of its offense that translate to an NFL offense with regard to “full field” reads. He will have a learning curve with regard to setting protection and learning the nuances of how the position is played in the NFL.
Conclusion: Teams will love that he has 37 college starts, but he turned 25 on Jan. 13, old for an NFL rookie. He probably will start the season on the PUP list. There are many questions surrounding this player's game and how it translates to the NFL. However, he has redeeming value in his deep-ball touch, short to intermediate accuracy and overall athleticism
What others say | ESPN's Mel Kiper said: “Hooker doesn’t have elite arm strength, but he’s incredibly accurate. He doesn’t make mistakes, he does not throw interceptions. [Is he a] game manager?”
ESPN's Todd McShay said: “I still see Hooker as the QB4 in the class. [He] suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in November, and while the injury will certainly impact his draft stock, I don’t think we will see a severe drop.”
Player Comp: Seattle's Geno Smith
Round: Fourth
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