2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Hendon Hooker

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Hendon Hooker, 6-3/217 Quarterback Tennessee

Hendon Hooker Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Accurate passer

Ball placement

Protects the football

Makes good decisions

Moves his eyes

Works through his progression

Can throw receivers open

Doesn’t miss open receivers

Shows good timing

Anticipation

Able to loft in touch passes

Has more mobility than many realize

Will use his feet

Sneaky ability to pick up yards on the ground

Quality mechanics

Good fit in a West Coast offense

Weaknesses:

More of a game manager than a playmaker

Arm strength is adequate, but not special

Limited passer

Coming off an ACL tear

Already 25 years old

Summary: Hooker started out his career at Virginia Tech, but he really put himself on the map for the NFL after transferring to Tennessee. Hooker broke out with the Volunteers in 2021, flashing some ability while completing 68 percent of his passes for 2,945 yards, 31 touchdowns and three interceptions. He ran for 620 yards and five touchdowns as well. In 2022, Hooker completed 70 percent of his passes for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also recorded 430 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Hooker tore an ACL in the penultimate game of the regular season.

On the positive side, Hooker has enough accuracy to operate as a rhythm passer while possessing some deep-ball skills. He also shows the ability to function in the quick passing game in the short part of the field, firing some quick bullets into smaller windows to move the ball. Hooker is a patient passer who will allow routes to develop, and he doesn’t panic when he has to hold the ball. Hooker showed improved accuracy and ball placement as a senior with developed footwork.

On the negative side, Hooker sails a lot of throws, which could be problematic versus pro defensive backs. He has good timing and precision on his throws to lead receivers to yards after the catch, but NFL ball hawks will be more adept at hunting down those passes. Hooker is not a finished product yet and still room for improvement in terms of working through his progressions. The system at Tennessee did not prepare him with steady plays of multiple progressions. Speeding up his reading of defenses and working through his progressions faster will be necessities for him at the next level.



Hooker is a good athlete with enough quickness to get yardage on the ground. Thanks to his mobility and athleticism, he is able to buy time and escape sacks. Hooker is a capable runner with the ability to dodge defenders, but he could stand to improve his throwing on the run.

For the NFL, Hooker looks like more of a backup. He has a decent skill set, but it’s not exceptional. Some team sources feel Hooker was a product of the system at Tennessee. Hooker’s rookie season could be delayed because of returning from his ACL injury. For the NFL, he looks like a future backup, but he might surprise.



Player Comparison: Josh Dobbs. Hooker reminds me of a better version of Dobbs coming out of Tennessee. Dobbs has settled in as a backup in the NFL, and Hooker could have the same potential.

2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern Jordan Addison, WR, USC Will Anderson, DE, Alabama Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State Steve Avila, G, TCU Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Brian Branch, S, Alabama Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson Chase Brown, RB, Illinois Sydney Brown, S, Illinois Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisvile Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina Max Duggan, QB, TCU Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Notre Dame Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn Jaren Hall, QB, BYU Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU Broderick Jones, G, Georgia Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Will Levis, QB, Kentucky Quan Martin, CB, Illinois Cody Mauch, G, North Dakota State Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford Kendre Miller, RB, TCU Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss Cam Mitchell, CB, Northwestern Malachi Moore, S, Alabama Mike Morris, DE, Michigan Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State Zion Nelson, OT, Miami B.J. Ojulari, OLB, LSU Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame Clark Phillips, CB, Utah Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Chris Rodriguez, RB, Kentucky Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee Joe Tippman, C, Wisconsin O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida Henry To'oTo'o, LB, Alabama Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

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