Hendon Hooker mock draft: Will Tennessee QB be a Round 1 pick with stock on the rise?

Most mocks of the 2023 NFL draft will see four quarterbacks selected in the first round, a group that includes Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis.

Will Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker make it five? That’s one of the intriguing questions heading into Thursday’s first round and for teams focused on the back end that will be put to the test.

Hooker put together an impressive senior season with Tennessee, but that was cut short by a cruciate ligament rupture against South Carolina on Nov. 19, 2022. There’s also a financial incentive to picking a quarterback in the first round.

“The round where quarterbacks have been the least — only twice in the last five years — is round two,” ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay told Sporting News. “The reason is, if you believe and you have a second-round grade for a quarterback and it’s somewhere on the fringes of the early to mid-second round; They’re trying to get him in the first round to get that fifth-year option.”

Is Hooker worth this first round pick? Or is he a day 2 flyer?

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Hendon Hooker 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Hooker spent six seasons in college football. He joined from Virginia Tech after the 2020 season and his last two seasons with Tennessee have been successful.

Under first-year coach Josh Heupel, he passed for 2,945 yards, 31 TDs and three interceptions in 2021. He backed that up with 3,135 yards, 27 TDs and two interceptions last season for the Volunteers, with the Signature Game delivering 385 yards and five TDs in the 52-49 win over Alabama on Oct. 15, 2022. Hooker finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting.

However, Hooker suffered a cruciate ligament tear against South Carolina, preventing him from coaching at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Hooker measured 6-3, 217 pounds at the combine, and the reported buzz around the interview portion boosted the quarterback’s stocks.

“First and foremost, I want to come in and learn from everyone and everyone,” Hooker said of 247Sports.com. “Vets, trainers, on and off the field, how to become a pro. That’s the first thing I want to do and engage with my character, who I am and build trust throughout the organization.”

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Why Hendon Hooker is a first-round pick

Hooker takes care of the football. Between Virginia Tech and Tennessee, Hooker had 80 TDs and 12 interceptions, and he did it while averaging 9.5 yards per attempt.

“He did a great job staying away from interceptions,” Mel Kiper, ESPN draft analyst, told SN. “The ball came out quickly.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Hooker ranked ninth in the FBS with a 93.4 passer rating on passes of 20 yards or more. a number not too far behind leader CJ Stroud’s 94.2. Hooker had 13 TD passes and one interception in this situation. He also averaged 4.0 yards per carry with 25 rushing TDs during his collegiate career.

Throw the leadership and intangible qualities on top, and the pros outweigh the cons for a team that can afford to be patient when looking for that first-round quarterback.

“To see his improvement year over year and to know that he has a learning curve when it comes to starting from that program from Tennessee,” McShay said. “I think he could use a year.”

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Why Hendon Hooker could fall on Day 2

Is Hooker a first-round value pick, or isn’t there enough immediate value to justify the first-round pick?

That’s the question for Hooker, who turns 26 in the 2023 NFL season. He’s also rehabilitating the torn cruciate ligament, and the question is whether the Tennessee production was a result of Heupel’s offense and whether that will carry over to the NFL. That supporting cast in Tennessee included three future NFL receivers at Jalin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman and Bru McCoy.

“He had really good receivers to throw at,” Kiper said. “It was a great system that made the guys more open. Josh Heupel is doing a great job there. His accuracy was there. His decision making was good but it really helped him get the ball to those receivers.

Critics might also point to last season’s Georgia film, in which Hooker completed 23 of 33 for 195 yards and an interception. Hooker took six sacks in that 27-13 loss.

With all these questions, would it make more sense to wait until day 2 for Hooker?

A quick look at quarterbacks picked in the second round over the past five years suggests this is a 50/50 effort. Denver drafted Drew Lock with the 42nd pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Philadelphia drafted Jalen Hurts with the 53rd pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

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Are Hendon Hooker vs. Jalen Hurts comparisons valid?

Hurts has naturally evolved into an elite quarterback for the Eagles. Hurts went for 3,701 yards, 22 TDs and six interceptions with 760 rushing yards and 13 TDs. Philadelphia reached Super Bowl 57 and Hurts signed a massive five-year contract extension worth $155 million this week. This type of efficient, flawless football tries to create a connection between Hurts and Hooker, who could be this year’s Day 2 steal if he falls from the first round.

“It was phenomenal what the Eagles did when they drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round and had the vision to do that and develop him,” said McShay. “They called in hurts after giving Wentz a boatload of money and a long-term contract, and Wentz didn’t comply. If they had taken him earlier in the first round, they would have had an extra year.”

While a team might try to execute the same plan with Hooker, the on-field comparisons to Hurts are a stretch.

“He’s not going to be the double-threat quarterback that Hurts is, even though he had nine rushing touchdowns at Virginia Tech in 2020,” Kiper said. “He’s a sleight of hand. He’s a flat-footed pocket passer and I think there are some things he needs to work on.”

Who will design Hendon Hooker?

What’s a logical plan for hookers in the first round? Perhaps a team with an experienced quarterback will take a shot at Hooker with this five-year plan.

“I would call him up late in first year if you’re a team like Minnesota or Seattle, a team that’s trying to trade back because you’re going to get that fifth year,” McShay said.

If Hooker doesn’t show up in the first round, it’s possible he’ll slip in round 3. SN’s Vinnie Iyer has the Detroit Lions pick the #81 hooker in the third round in his latest seven-round mock draft. Iyer writes, “The Lions might jump on Hooker with their second first-round pick, but he’s in the game when the team has to allow the precise, big-armed passer to fall that far.”