Hendon Hooker (QB07) Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Hendon Hooker a popular pick to sneak into first round of 2023 draft

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 4/4/23

Although he’s coming off ACL surgery and likely won’t be ready for training camp, many draft experts seem to agree there’s a strong chance University of Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker could sneak into the back half of the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

ESPN’s Todd McShay, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman all mocked Hooker to the Minnesota Vikings with the No. 23 pick. However, Washington (No. 16), Tampa Bay (No. 19) and New Orleans (No. 29) are other mid-to-late first-round possibilities. Baltimore (No. 22) could also be an option depending on how the Lamar Jackson situation plays out.

Former #Vols QB Hendon Hooker continues to get major love and is climbing up those draft charts. This is Hooker’s strongest endorsement yet! pic.twitter.com/Pa2SJeXy98
— Jayson Swain (@SwainEvent) April 4, 2023

“Hooker is accurate to every level of the field but really thrives throwing deep,” McShay said. “Some scouts might be wary of drafting a 25-year-old QB, but he has the talent to lead an NFL offense. I've talked to folks with a few teams that even have Hooker above Levis on their internal boards. He has interviewed really well this spring, and the tape is phenomenal."
Added Feldman: “I’m told that Hooker shined in NFL QB interviews with coaches at the combine, displaying a lot of maturity and an excellent grasp of not only the Vols offense but also his former offense at Virginia Tech, where he started his career. I wouldn’t be shocked if Hooker gets picked higher than Levis, as some NFL coaches I talked to liked his game more than the Kentucky QB’s."

Multiple teams reportedly have Hendon Hooker “over” Will Levis and Anthony Richardson on their Draft boards.

Hooker is set to visit privately with the Saints tomorrow and has already met with the Texans, Colts, Giants, Titans, and Buccaneers.

Some scouts reportedly believe… pic.twitter.com/f2lv4mShMr
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) April 3, 2023

Hooker threw for 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns and just five interceptions while completing 68.8 percent of his passes in two years at Tennessee. He was the 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, an All-SEC first team selection and an AP Third Team All-American after leading the Vols to a 9-1 record with wins over No. 3 Alabama, No. 20 Florida, No. 25 LSU, No. 19 Kentucky and No. 17 Pittsburgh.

Hooker’s two interceptions were the fewest among QBs with 20 or more touchdown passes, and he led the FBS with 9.5 yards per completion. Hooker also ranked second in the country in passer rating (175.5), ninth in completion percentage (69.6) and he tied for 18^th in touchdowns (27).

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