Which team is the best fit for this ascending QB prospect?
The closer we get to the 2023 NFL Draft, the more draft experts are in agreement that University of Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker will be a late first-round pick.
Despite coming off a torn ACL, Hooker has reportedly impressed scouts and coaches at every step of the pre-draft process, and once they watch his tape, they’re even more blown away by his raw skill set.
Count former Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Martz among those captivated by Hooker, and during a recent film analysis video for The 33rd Team, Martz explained exactly why Hooker is being undervalued as a legitimate first-round prospect.
“I think mechanically he’s almost perfect,” Martz said. “He has a great base, bent knees, he’s always balanced, you’ll never see his feet come together, he has really strong legs.
“…There’s no hesitation in anything that he does. And his game speed is heading toward the game speed of the NFL in terms of his footwork and getting the ball out quickly. [His] ball location shocked me. I have not seen a college quarterback like this before where the ball is always on the body or out in front of (the receivers) where they can make the catch.”
So which team is the best fit for Hooker?
While several teams could benefit from taking a QB that will be ready to start a year from now — the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders, to name a few — the Minnesota Vikings are the ideal landing spot for Hooker.
Kirk Cousins will be 35 when the season begins, and though he’s had a good run in Minnesota, he is likely out of the team’s price range following 2023 (he was scheduled to make $36.25M this season before restructuring his deal).
The Vikings could give Hooker a full season to work with QB-turned-head coach Kevin O’Connell and learn the ins and outs of the offense before transitioning into a starting role in 2024. This would also allow the Vikings to keep their playoff window open while getting younger and cheaper under center.
In a perfect world, Hooker would follow a trajectory similar to that of Patrick Mahomes, who was drafted in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017, sat for a year behind Alex Smith and learned from a QB-savvy head coach in Andy Reid before transitioning into a starting role in 2018.
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