Watch: Former Vols QB Hendon Hooker impresses during Lions OTAs with perfectly placed throw
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered last November in UT's loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Hooker, a third-round selection by the Detroit Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, is making quick progress in his rehab, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to go for […]
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered last November in UT's loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Hooker, a third-round selection by the Detroit Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, is making quick progress in his rehab, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to go for training camp later this summer.
The Greensboro, NC native, however, recently progressed to throwing routes to wide receivers.
Hooker was spotted after one of Detroit's OTA sessions last week throwing passes while wearing a brace on his left knee.
One of Hooker's passes was an absolutely perfectly placed throw in the back of the end zone.
There's been plenty of talk about Hooker coming from Josh Heupel's up-tempo spread offense and whether or not it fully prepared the 2022 SEC offensive player of the year for the NFL.
I know there's no pass rush coming after Hooker in the above clip, but that doesn't change that his ball placement is elite.
As Hooker said earlier this spring, it's not his fault that defensive backs couldn't cover his wide receivers at Tennessee. The only reason there aren't a lot of video clips of Hooker fitting passes into tight windows is because Tennessee's wide receivers had no problems creating separation and getting open last season.
Hooker is quickly showing, despite his torn ACL, that he can put the ball wherever it's needed. That ability combined with his ability to see what's happening on the field before it actually happens should serve him well in the NFL.
Featured image via Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
