With impressive showings at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine, and the Tennessee Pro Day this year, former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker has been one of the most talked-about players in the leadup to April’s 2023 NFL Draft.
Hooker led Tennessee to two terrific offensive seasons during his time in Knoxville, but couldn’t finish the final two games of his career due to a torn ACL against South Carolina in his second-to-last regular season game. That injury was certainly a setback to Hooker’s goals in both the college season and in the NFL.
But, in a weird way, his impressive recovery has almost made him more of a talking point this spring. He’s become a fan-favorite story that people across the country are rooting for.
When the NFL Draft conversation began rolling at the start of the offseason, Hooker’s name wasn’t nearly as talked about as the top four: Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis. But Hooker continued to work hard at his recovery throughout the offseason.
Hooker participated in interviews and was on the field for the Reese’s Senior Bowl in February, which was the first big uptick in his draft stock. Scouts and coaches alike came away impressed with the former Tennessee quarterback despite not even performing a rep in a drill.
Then, during Super Bowl week, an interview on the Pat McAfee Show allowed the chance for a large group of people to hear about Hooker’s recovery and actually see footage of him throwing the ball.
That eventually led to the NFL Combine as Hooker made a great impression on coaches, scouts, and executives the same way he did at the Senior Bowl.
And most recently, Hooker once again made headlines when he was seen throwing the ball at Tennessee’s Pro Day, just 131 days after initially tearing his ACL.
Throughout all of those events, Hooker’s name has continued to rise up NFL Draft boards by the experts. Former NFL GM and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum even listed Hooker as the No. 5 pick in his 2023 mock draft to close down the month of March.
During an interview with the Pat McAfee Show on Monday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport gave his perspective on Hooker’s rise throughout the offseason. Rapoport also addressed the question on if it was a “foregone conclusion” that Hooker would be a first-round NFL Draft pick.
“It’s not a foregone conclusion but it’s definitely something that, like I would say three weeks ago, or whenever the combine was, I was like, ‘Eh…’,” Rapoport said on the Pat McAfee Show. “Now it does feel like that, you know? Because he’s coming back well from his ACL, which was just a clean tear, not just, it was a clean tear, but bodes well for his progress going forward.”
Rapoport went on to explain what he has seen and heard from the 25-year-old quarterback.
“There’s a lot to like,” Rapoport said. “On the field and then also, as a human, as a leader and all that stuff. And if the quarterbacks go early, let’s say we get four in the top ten which is certainly not out of the realm of possibility, then there’s a bunch of other teams that will say, I can take someone and even if he’s not 100 percent healthy by week one, he’s at minimum my backup. He’s a backup for a year and then we’ll see. I could see Hendon Hooker going in the first round.”
“If the quarterbacks, if the top four go really early, then the biggest question from No. 15 on is, ‘Who takes Hendon Hooker in Kansas City?'”
“I’m pumped for Hendon Hooker to kind of get in the conversation,” replied McAfee, who is a noted fan of the former Tennessee quarterback and rising NFL Draft prospect. “There’s a chance the Colts trade out and still end up potentially getting him.”
A sure-to-be eventful 2023 NFL Draft will begin on Thursday, April 27, from Kansas City. The draft will run through Saturday.
More from RTI: Where Former Tennessee Football Players Are Mocked Less Than Three Weeks From NFL Draft
QB Hendon Hooker received a little instruction from Tennessee OC Joey Halzle while getting some throws in during #Vols Pro Day in Knoxville. pic.twitter.com/xxZgwd3qRS
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) March 30, 2023
