We’ve already seen plenty of reports on the 2023 NFL Draft class’s top passing prospects. After the expected first-rounders (Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis), nearly all other quarterback prospects aren’t expected to hear their names until Day 3 of the draft. The exception to that statement is Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, considered one of the draft’s top passers who shouldn’t be available for long, if at all, after the first 31 picks.
Hooker is one of the older quarterbacks in the draft, graduating from Dudley High School (NC) back in 2017. Considered a top 247 player and the fifth-ranked dual-threat quarterback by 247Sports, Hooker initially committed to Virginia Tech a few weeks after receiving an offer and stuck with the Hokies despite some late flirting with Oregon.
In Blacksburg, Hooker competed with redshirt freshman Josh Jackson for the starting job at quarterback before redshirting himself. In 2018, he sat once again behind Kansas transfer Ryan Willis. The next year, Hooker finally got an opportunity to start for the Hokies after a disappointing start to the season for Willis. With Hooker behind center, Virginia Tech rebounded to find its way to a bowl game thanks to Hooker’s 1,555 passing yards, 18 total touchdowns and only two interceptions. Hooker returned as the starter in 2020 but only appeared in eight of 11 possible games. Overall, during his career with the Hokies, Hooker completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 2,894 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions over 21 total games, adding 1,033 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
Seeking greener pastures, Hooker transferred to Tennessee with many thinking he would back up Joe Milton, the Michigan transfer who was widely expected to take over after the departure of Jarrett Guarantano. An early injury to Milton, though, opened the door for Hooker to take the reins, and he didn’t look back. A breakout season saw Hooker throw for 2,945 yards and 31 touchdowns to just three interceptions, adding 616 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He utilized his extra COVID year of eligibility to return in 2022. Playing in two fewer games due to an ACL tear that ended his final year early, Hooker threw for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions, adding 430 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
The late-season ACL tear obviously hurts his draft stock but maybe not quite as much as you might think. The 25-year-old was already likely expected to need some development after playing in Josh Heupel's extremely quarterback-friendly offense in Knoxville. His jump in success from Virginia Tech to Tennessee could be a result of the Volunteers offense that included mostly play-action passes that had largely predetermined targets.
The convenient offense affected his ability to make reads, which led to frequent checkdowns when his initial reads weren’t there. When he didn’t immediately check down, any hint of pressure would push him out of the pocket. While finding success on roll-outs and scrambles, it did lead to a worrying 39 fumbles over his college career.
Additionally, his knee might not be the only concern health-wise. A potential heart condition was discovered when undergoing tests after a positive COVID test, according to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports. The condition was determined to be a “false alarm” as a result of a procedure, but Hooker later suffered a convulsive episode that he blamed on medication from the heart procedure.
Looking past all that, Hooker was dominant at Tennessee. He took advantage of the quarterback-friendly offense for a masterfully efficient 58 touchdowns to five interceptions. He has a strong arm and touch that makes him a phenomenal deep ball passer. He didn’t rely on it in college, but he has an instinctive ability in the open field, utilizing agility, elusiveness and toughness. Heupel lauded him as a hard worker and a strong leader, as well.
There’s a lot to like about Hooker’s long-term upside. His mental development over his collegiate career bodes well for his ability to attack the learning curve he’ll face in the NFL. He boasts some strong tools, as well, that will come in handy when he does catch up to the professional game. As long as health is of no concern, there’s reason to believe Hooker can develop into a starter at the NFL level.
So who will take a chance on Hooker? As a bit of a project with recent health issues, it will likely be a team with a short-term or unproven situation at quarterback in 2023. Think the Commanders (Sam Howell), the Falcons (Desmond Ridder), the Colts (Gardner Minshew, Nick Foles) or the Texans (Davis Mills). The Ravens might even be a possibility with the current uncertainty surrounding Lamar Jackson.
While many expect him to fall to the second round, it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see a team trade up to the back of the first round as Baltimore did with Jackson in 2018. The extra fifth-year option could prove useful if Hooker sits for a year or two. Even if that’s not how it plays out, Hooker likely won’t sit around for long into Day 2. We’ll find out in just under two weeks from now.
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