NFL scout has terrible take on former Vols QB Hendon Hooker
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker just can't get any respect. Throughout the draft process, Hooker was constantly criticized for his age and the offense he played in at Tennessee. That criticism played a part in Hooker falling to the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Detroit Lions. […]
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker just can't get any respect.
Throughout the draft process, Hooker was constantly criticized for his age and the offense he played in at Tennessee.
That criticism played a part in Hooker falling to the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Detroit Lions.
Hooker responded to some of that criticism last week at Detroit's rookie minicamp, telling reporters "[I] was the SEC offensive player of the year for a reason".
That statement from Hooker apparently didn't quell the criticism that's being directed his way.
An anonymous NFL scout suggested to On3 this week that LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is better than Hooker.
"If you take his three or four best games from this past year, I probably think he’s a little bit better than Hendon Hooker, honestly," said the scout. "The scheme is better for Hooker in terms of numbers and production, but some of the stuff that Jayden Daniels does I think translates (better). I think quarterback coaches are going to like this guy. I think scouts are going to like this guy. So I think he’s pretty talented, and they (at LSU) think he’s going to have a big year. I think Jayden can be pretty good.”
I'm sure Vols fans are tired of hearing about "scheme". Every time an offensive player from Tennessee is mentioned in a discussion about the NFL, you can bet that the word "scheme" will be in there somewhere.
This scout is completely ignoring a couple of things. For starters, Hooker dominated Daniels head-to-head in Baton Rouge last season (while they don't play head-to-head on the field, it's worth noting that Tennessee's pass defense struggled mightily at times last season, but they had no issues stopping Daniels).
There's also the fact that we already know that NFL coaches love Hooker. Regardless of the scheme, NFL teams thought highly of Hooker during the pre-draft process because of his natural leadership abilities and maturity.
And let's not ignore that this scout is admittedly cherry-picking some of Daniels' games to make his point.
We'll see how both quarterbacks turn out in the NFL. Maybe Daniels ends up being the better pro quarterback. But based on what we've seen so far from each quarterback at the collegiate level, it's mind-boggling that an NFL scout thinks Daniels is a better quarterback than the reigning SEC offensive player of the year.
