Our “Why the Slide” series parallels and grew out our “Why Undrafted” series. The latter was created a number of years ago in response to your questions about why certain well-known prospects went unselected in NFL drafts. For both series, I reach out to sources with NFL teams to find out why their organizations passed on drafting a given player, and/or, what were the reasons for other teams to pass on that prospect. The positive response to “Why Undrafted” and questions from readers about why prospects were drafted lower than the media expectations led us to create the parallel series “Why the Slide?”
Both series are back this year. Feel free to email me requests for Why the Slide? and Why Undrafted? at [email protected]. I can’t promise to get to all of them, but I will do my best and definitely will respond to the email.
Hooker was a breakout star in college football in 2022, leading Tennessee into the top 10 by lighting up the scoreboard and leading his team to some legendary wins, including a thriller over Alabama. On the year, he completed 70 percent of his passes for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 430 yards and five scores prior to tearing his ACL in the penultimate game of the regular season. With plenty of highlight reel games and throws in 2022, there many projections of Hooker being a first-round pick by the media leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. Thus, some were surprised when he slipped to Round 3.
A number of NFL team sources were not as high on Hooker’s play as the media hype suggested. Sources from multiple teams had Hooker graded on Day 2, and sources from one franchise said they had Hooker as a 1/2 – a late first-round or early second-round pick. Teams don’t like Hooker being older, coming from gimmick offense, and needing development despite his age. Additionally, the torn ACL could delay his availability in the first half of his rookie season. All of those combined led to Hooker sliding in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Detroit Lions ended Hooker’s fall early in the third round, which was an excellent landing spot for him. Hooker has the luxury of rehabbing because Jared Goff in place, so the Lions won’t forced to the field until Hooker is ready. If Hooker ends up being a bust, it’s not a huge loss for Detroit given that he was only a third-round pick. It definitely is a worthy gamble because Hooker has a quality skill set with size, arm strength, athleticism, and good intangibles. The Lions needed to improve their backup talent behind Goff, and they were fortunate that Goff stayed healthy in 2022. Even if Goff is signed to an extension and Hooker is just a solid backup, that still improves Detroit’s roster significantly. Taking Hooker in the third round also gives the Lions some leverage in contract negotiations with Goff. On the positive side, if Hooker turns into a quality starter, he will be a massive steal as a third-round pick. The Lions have a lot of talent up front, in the backfield and at wide receiver. Hooker was fortunate to land in an ideal situation to grow and potentially challenge for playing time in the future.
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 23
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