Hendon Hooker – Quarterback – 25 – (RS) Senior – Tennessee
Height: 1m93
Weight: 101kg
Estimated draft position: 2nd-4th round
2021 stats: 229/329, 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, 430 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns
NFL Comparison: Geno Smith
Behind the four quarterbacks who will likely be selected in the first round, Hendon Hooker seems to be next. His advanced age and ruptured anterior cruciate ligament may put some teams off, but his talent and his Heisman-like 2022 season have others salivating. It’s hard today to know what day it will be draftedand to what extent its weak points will take precedence over its undeniable qualities.
Strong points
– Mobility
– Accuracy
– Football IQ
Hendon Hooker has a physique made for the NFL, but not only. He is also an excellent athlete, quick and agile, able to avoid sacks and extend plays. Above all, he is fast enough to gain a lot of ground ground. He is not a running quarterback in the first sense of the term, but he is perfectly capable of reading the first intention of a defense and, if necessary, taking his legs around his neck, especially on “option” plays. .
70% pass completion is a lot, even at the college level. A percentage that testifies to the accuracy of Hooker’s arm. He knows very well how to place the ball where only his receiver can catch it. He even allowed his targets, in the Tennessee system, to garner yards after receiving thanks to his ability to read the opposing coverage. He also has good arm power, and he is able to throw the ball in all areas of the pitch without forcing too much.
Although the system in which he evolved in college is not the most complex in the world, Hendon Hooker has proven his game intelligence time and time again. He knows how to feign the reading of defenders through his body language, his placement and her stare. His ability to look in a different area than where his reading is has allowed his receivers to open up space. Even if there is a certain exaggeration in the way he turns his head to indicate the opposite of his intentions, he thus effectively misleads the defense.
Weak points
– Age
– Health
– System
Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Fields, Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell. These 10 quarterbacks are projected to start next year in their respective franchises. They all have one thing in common: they are younger than Hendon Hooker. Already 25 years old, Hooker is certainly experienced, but his age does not allow him to justify a large margin of progress. In other words, the franchise that will select him will take what he is more than what he could become.
Additionally, Hooker suffered a serious knee injury against South Carolina on November 19. A ruptured anterior cruciate ligament that deprived him of the end of the season with Tennessee, and cast a shadow over his popularity in the draft. If the latest reports indicate that he should be ready for the start of the NFL season, franchises are bound to be worried about his full ability to return to 100% of his means.
The system in which he evolved at the university is very far from all those applied in the NFL. Tennessee plays in a formation that uses the full width of the field, creating duels between the receiver and the cornerback on the outside, unlike the NFL, where the systems are tighter. Additionally, Hooker has relied heavily on “optional” plays and two-man only reads, unlike the big league, where there’s a lot more traffic and up to five read options for the pass. Hooker will have to learn and get used to professional concepts, which are much more complex and diversified.
Possible destinations
Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings
25 years old and a questionable knee: Hendon Hooker is not as attractive as a young quarterback, but he brings something else. He is not a long-term project and will have to be effective quickly at the highest level, because he will not benefit from the same right to adaptation time as a player three or four years younger than him.
Its ceiling seems much lower, but its floor is much higher. Hooker has already proven that he could win a team yet expected to be less strong. Tennessee’s 2022 season remains the program’s best since 2001, and its performances have a lot to do with it. It will be perfect for a franchise with a quarterback at the end of the course or whose level raises questions. We may well see Hendon Hooker on the pitch as soon as 2023.
