Former Auburn Tigers standout makes bold statement about Hendon Hooker
After months of speculation, we finally learned this weekend that former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker will begin his NFL career with the Detroit Lions. The Lions selected Hooker with the No. 68 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The plan for Hooker in Detroit is to sit in 2023 while he continues to […]
After months of speculation, we finally learned this weekend that former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker will begin his NFL career with the Detroit Lions.
The Lions selected Hooker with the No. 68 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The plan for Hooker in Detroit is to sit in 2023 while he continues to recover from his torn ACL (he's expected to be cleared by September 1, but he'll need time to ramp up after missing so much time).
Jared Goff, who is coming off a Pro Bowl season, will continue to operate as Detroit's starting quarterback in 2023 as Hooker learns the offense while backing up the former No. 1 overall draft pick.
Hooker won't have the same expectations put on him as quarterbacks that were selected in the first round of this year's draft, but he's still a player with a lot of upside that could be a franchise quarterback for the Lions.
In fact, that's exactly what former Auburn Tigers standout Takeo Spikes said about Hooker this weekend during a segment on the SEC Network.
Spikes, a former first-round pick who spent 15 seasons in the NFL, also said that he thinks Hooker is a better quarterback than Goff.
"It's a low-pressure situation," said Spikes about Hooker in Detroit. "Look Hendon Hooker is coming into this situation with the Detroit Lions, they're not counting on him to play (in 2023). Jared Goff is the guy — they understand that clearly. But one thing: by picking Hendon Hooker, they know he is the future. He can come in and just learn from one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. And the truth be told, he's a better quarterback than Jared Goff. I think he gets the ball downfield as far as vertical passing lanes."
"And then from his leadership perspective, there's something about a guy who can walk inside of a room and make everybody believe without even saying a word," added Spikes.
Spikes, who reached two Pro Bowls during his time in the NFL, knows a thing or two about what it takes to be successful in the NFL. So while he doesn't have a crystal ball that can accurately predict the future, he has a better grasp than most of what it takes for a quarterback to excel at the highest level.
