March 29, 2024

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NFL draft steal? Hooker hurdles age, well being, style problems

Hendon Hooker is fluid on the football industry and cellular in NFL assembly rooms, where by he’s been hurdling problems about his age, health and fitness and enjoying style.

The 25-calendar year-outdated previous Tennessee quarterback who tore the ACL in his left knee a lot less than five months back has spent his predraft visits with teams explaining the complexity of the Volunteers’ seemingly simplistic distribute offense. It is really 1 that has elevated issues about how his match will translate to the pros, in which he’ll have to study the overall area and not lock in on his most important concentrate on so much.

“I can make any toss,” Hooker explained. “The way we operate our offense, the vast splits, people are all grown-adult males throws. I’m not throwing any 5-garden outs. Those people are all big-boy balls.”

Hooker pounces at issues about how he’ll do in a professional design offense.

“I can’t assistance that defenders cannot guard my receivers. My career is to get them the ball,” Hooker stated. “A lot of these concerns about just one-sided reads, we have pure progressions and routes. It can be not my fault that my initially read through is receiving open up.”

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And don’t be fooled, Hooker included, there is a lot going on beneath that neat demeanor of his that would make it appear to be like he is just leisurely taking part in capture.

Hooker figures to be the fifth quarterback picked in the NFL draft later this thirty day period, at the rear of positive-hearth 1st-rounders Bryce Youthful, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson.

“I really like Hendon Hooker,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah explained, citing his precision, acumen and adjustability.

Hooker’s age — he’ll transform 26 by the stop of his rookie period — and health and fitness — he tore the ACL in his remaining knee in a game against South Carolina on Nov. 19 — have lots of predicting that he’ll slide into the second round. But Jeremiah has him going to the Vikings at No. 23 in his newest mock draft.

The 2022 SEC Offensive Participant of the Calendar year expended a few a long time at Virginia Tech and the final two at Tennessee.

Patrick Mahomes is just two several years more mature than Hooker but has presently performed 6 NFL seasons and won a pair of Tremendous Bowl rings. Jalen Hurts is 24 and has three years’ NFL working experience and a Super Bowl visual appearance.

“If you informed me you draft Hendon Hooker in the next round and he is your setting up quarterback or 7, eight really great a long time, I feel you choose it,” Jeremiah stated. “I feel Hendon Hooker has a possibility to be a authentic worth select for anyone.”

Hooker could stop up sitting a yr at the rear of an established starter, way too, some thing that would assuage any considerations about his surgically fixed knee.

The additional urgent concern is how Hooker’s recreation will translate to the following amount following operating in Tennessee’s super unfold offense, where by he experienced to get the ball out lickety-break up and not often arrived off his initially read through.

Putting that design and style apart, “I’ll just say when you are evaluating him, the accuracy, the final decision-creating, the poise, the athleticism to be equipped to go about and generate with his legs, to toss as properly as to operate, all these factors are all there,” Jeremiah siad.

At Tennessee, Hooker was what scouts contact a “half-field reader.”

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay figures that was a lot more a product of Josh Heupel’s offense than a flaw in Hooker’s match.

“The experiences from just about every workforce I have talked to about him is he is carried out a great job getting on the board and understands principles and can go back again to his Virginia Tech playbook and recite every thing like he was participating in in it yesterday,” McShay explained. “That’s aspect of why it’s so essential with the quarterbacks to have unique time, non-public workouts, non-public meetings, to definitely examine their mind and how they understand.”

Hooker relished demonstrating off his soccer acumen on the white boards.

“Any time I wander past a mirror and there is an Expo marker, I’m going to attract on the mirror,” Hooker reported. “Which is just a little something I enjoy accomplishing mainly because I adore the sport of soccer.”

Heupel stated the offense Hooker was asked to operate at Tennessee wasn’t as simplistic as it looked.

“I’m not guaranteed any individual in school football has extra on their plate than Hendon does,” Heupel mentioned. “Then, you throw in the tempo that we participate in at, you have acquired to be a rapid decision-maker, you have acquired to understand defensive structure really speedily. … He managed the overall game on every single solitary engage in. I imagine that puts him in a fantastic posture to be capable to transition at the following stage and take care of all that is coming at him.”

Heupel explained the intangibles these types of as leadership and charisma are what will make Hooker somebody’s franchise quarterback.

“I’ve hardly ever been around anyone that’s been a much better or more impactful leader than Hendon Hooker is,” Heupel stated. “Our plan is not where it’s at now unless of course Hendon is a component of our locker area.”