ESPN: ‘Don’t be surprised if Hendon Hooker ends up rising’ throughout NFL Draft process

Feb 3, 2023 - 4:15 PM

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Hendon Hooker’s senior season was almost straight out of a storybook. The second-year starter led Tennessee to an 8-0 start and a No. 1 ranking. He was leading the Heisman odds at one point.

And then it was just over.

Hooker tore his ACL late against South Carolina, and everyone in the stadium and watching on TV knew instantly what the diagnosis was. His season was over, and in an instant, his NFL Draft process changed dramatically. Instead of being able to participate physically in the Senior Bowl, Hooker could now only meet and talk with teams. His NFL Combine would now be filled with medical checks on his knee, and there was suddenly a real possibility that he could miss most of his rookie season. For a 25 year old prospect, that’s a bigger deal for him than most.

However, following Hooker’s appearance in Mobile, his stock seems to be on the rise. Part of that is a lack of depth in this quarterback class. What’s after Bryce Young, Will Levis, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson? Not much, honestly, which makes Hooker’s injury more paletable.

Quarterbacks have largely underwhelmed in Mobile this week, which only strengthens Hooker’s case.

“Don’t be surprised if Hooker ends up rising, as he can continue to show teams he’s recovering from his torn ACL,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel said.

Hooker said earlier this week that he’s on track to be ready for training camp late in the summer. If that’s the case, and the medical reports can confirm that at the combine, Hooker absolutely could be a riser.

It’s difficult to project where injured players will go, but according to Thamel, day two seems to be the consensus.

“In the new-age NFL, I think he has the opportunity to be a really good player,” said a college head coach. “He could absolutely be a value. Look at what Dak Prescott did as a fourth-rounder. If you take Hooker in the third round, you could end up with a quality starter.” (Via ESPN)

Hooker’s quick pick up of Josh Heupel’s offense was impressive in 2021, and his complete mastery in 2022 turned him into a legit NFL prospect. Remember, Hooker actually committed to Jeremy Pruitt’s staff, but he certainly took to Heupel’s tempo/spread attack with ease. I’ll be interested to hear what the narrative becomes with him, coming out of that unique offense.

Is Hooker QB5 in this class? Based on the early returns from his interviews, he could be — and that’s no surprise.