Vols QB Hendon Hooker has advantage over Kentucky QB Will Levis in unexpected area
Despite having a down year, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis still has a ton of NFL draft hype surrounding him. Levis has been praised by draft analysts for his strong arm and prototypical size. Those analysts are so impressed by Levis' physical abilities, that they're willing to overlook his interception issues. Those physical traits, however, might […]
Despite having a down year, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis still has a ton of NFL draft hype surrounding him.
Levis has been praised by draft analysts for his strong arm and prototypical size. Those analysts are so impressed by Levis' physical abilities, that they're willing to overlook his interception issues.
Those physical traits, however, might not be quite as elite as analysts like Mel Kiper think they are.
What Kiper and a lot of other folks don't realize is that several quarterbacks in the 2023 draft class have equally strong arms. And in some cases, stronger arms.
Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is one of those players — at least when it comes to what various quarterbacks have done during game action.
Pro Football Focus analyst Mike Renner recently broke down the longest throws by quarterbacks in the 2023 draft class.
Hooker was at the top of the list with a 66-yard throw against Rhode Island (when Hooker was at Virginia Tech) in 2019.
According to Renner, the longest throw from Levis in college was 62 yards earlier this season against Florida.
Renner noted that Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen's longest throw in college was 70 yards (out of the back of the end zone like Hooker's throw above). Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's longest throw was 67 yards.
Allen and Herbert are known for having some of the strongest arms in the NFL. So that's pretty good company for Hooker to be in.
There's no doubt that Levis is physically talented. He throws the ball with plenty of zip and he's tough. But Hooker has a big arm (bigger than some analysts seem to realize) and he's also pretty tough (remember how banged up he got against Florida and LSU, yet he never came out of either game).
It certainly feels like Levis is getting the benefit of the doubt while Hooker isn't.
That's bad news for Hooker as it could cause his draft stock to fall, but it could be great news for whichever team lands him in the draft — if he goes late on day two or falls to day three, someone will be getting a huge steal.
Featured image via Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
