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So you like 'em old, eh Detroit Lions? Hendon Hooker is an efficient passer that led the nation in scoring last season captaining a stellar Tennessee squad. His final season was unfortunately cut short by a torn ACL which he is still battling back from but before that, this Heisman contender was having a banner year. He makes smart throws, is elusive in the pocket and can scramble to extend plays with the best of them.
While he may have to take a redshirt year to recover from his knee injury, there's a world where Hooker is the best quarterback from this class. Let's dive in.
Hendon Hooker scouting report
Position: QB
School: Tennessee (R-Sr)
Measurables: 6'3, 217 lbs.
Combine Notes: Hooker's hands are 10.5", in the 95th percentile. Don't tell Kenny Pickett.
Where he wins: Patient in the pocket with an elite TD-INT ratio.
Areas for improvement: Can sometimes struggle with accuracy across the middle of the field.
The 25-year-old was named the SEC's Offensive Player of the Year and was selected first-team All-SEC in 2022. He won two state championships in high school and helped bring Tennessee to a number-one ranking for the first time in school history.
Obligatory Hendon Hooker Highlight Reel
3 facts you probably didn't know about Hooker
Everyone talks about character during the NFL pre-draft process but when Tim Tebow says, 'If I had a son, I'd want Hendon to be his role model', that stands above the rest.
He became best friends with his biggest competitor, fellow Tennessee QB Joe Milton. They both transferred to Knoxville in 2021 with hopes of becoming the starter, a situation that likely leads to animosity. Instead, they grew inseparable.
Helped create a comic book of scriptures that his family uses to stay motivated through life's many ups and downs.
How does Hendon Hooker fit in with the Lions?
This is a super interesting pick, especially having fallen out of the first round (we knew he wouldn't be drafted that high. We knew it!). There's a lot of upside with a player like Hooker, but the red flags undoubtedly caught up to his previously projected draft capital. He'll likely be 26 years old before taking his first NFL snap due to the torn ACL, but his production is difficult to argue with.
Questions remain in terms of how the offense he executed in Tennessee will actually translate to the NFL, but he's got a physical skillset that will set him up for success if he can make the mental jump. The Lions seem committed (for now) to QB Jared Goff, but if we see regression from him despite the offense they're installing around him with weapons like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs, there are worse dart throws than Hendon Hooker.
Even if he doesn't see the field, the third round feels like a pretty great spot to draft a backup quarterback. Hell, Chris Collinsworth's final mock draft had him going to the Chiefs at 31 overall to back up Patrick Mahomes! Don't undervalue a great backup.
Grade: B
I feel like I've been giving out way too many A's out for my draft grades. Once again, if this pick came any earlier, it would have been a big, huge, colossal F. In the third round? I'll take it.
