The 2023 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Hendon Hooker 2023 NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Quarterback
School: Tennessee
Size: 6-foot-4, 218 pounds
Class: Redshirt Senior
2022 stats: 3,135 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 69.6 percent completion, 10.9 yards per attempt, 430 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns
Hooker had a college career that spanned a long time and had him make stops at two different schools. Now, he is in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Out of high school, Hooker was a four-star in the 2017 recruiting class who signed on with Virginia Tech. He redshirted his first year on campus, then played a limited amount as a redshirt freshman. During his redshirt sophomore season, he passed for 1,555 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions on 61.1 percent completion. He earned more playing time as a redshirt junior at Virginia Tech, registering 1,339 passing yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions on 65.3 percent completion. Following that season he transferred to Tennessee, where he was originally the backup in 2021. After breaking into the starting lineup, Hooker threw for 2,945 yards, 31 touchdowns and three interceptions on 68 percent completion. His play helped Tennessee win seven games. He improved in 2022 to pass for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions on 69.6 percent completion. His season was cut short due to a torn ACL, but he was able to help the Volunteers win 11 games.
Following a long career in college, Hooker has exhausted his eligibility and is now going pro. He is projected to be a day two pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Hooker has great decision-making skills. He rarely puts the ball in harm’s way. Over his career, he had just 12 interceptions, which is impressive given how many passes he threw in his career and how much production he had over his last two seasons. Hooker only threw five interceptions in his two seasons at Tennessee.
He has solid arm talent with the ability to make throws required at the NFL level. Not only can Hooker launch deep balls, but he can get some velocity on his passes. He can get the ball out quickly to receivers or fit the ball into tight windows at the second level.
When pressure starts coming, Hooker can stand tall in the pocket and make passes with players coming after him. If he needs to, he is able to play out of structure. He evades pressure and then can still make throws downfield because he keeps his eyes up. Hooker is also a solid runner with the ball and can pick up yards with his feet.
Tennessee’s offense didn’t require many full-field reads. Hooker is not as experienced as other quarterbacks at going through his progressions and finding the open man. In an NFL offense, he will be required to do this, so he could be behind the learning curve, which is a bigger problem for Hooker than for most, as he is a 25-year-old prospect.
While he can hit on deep balls, his short and intermediate accuracy could use some work. He misses on some and even when he does complete the passes they could be thrown more accurately. Working on this will help his receivers have more room to run after the catch and make his offense more efficient.
His decision-making is an asset, but there are times where he won’t throw the ball when he probably should. He lacks anticipation with his throws and has to throw to what he sees. This leaves some big plays on the field and also shows in his struggles against pressure. In the NFL he will have to throw before a receiver breaks or before they are open to be successful.
Projected Draft Range: Second-Third Round Pick
Draft Grade: Third-Round Grade
Make sure to check out our NFL Draft page for more content like Hendon Hooker 2023 NFL Draft Profile!
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!
