NFL Draft analyst has puzzling evaluation of Vols QB Hendon Hooker
Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is quickly climbing NFL draft boards thanks to his incredible performance through the first seven games of the 2022 season. There are some questions, however, about whether or not Hooker's style of play — playing in a spread offense — will translate to the NFL. There's some legitimacy in those […]
Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is quickly climbing NFL draft boards thanks to his incredible performance through the first seven games of the 2022 season.
There are some questions, however, about whether or not Hooker's style of play — playing in a spread offense — will translate to the NFL.
There's some legitimacy in those questions, though I think at this point a lot of those questions are becoming obsolete as we see quarterbacks from spread systems thrive in the NFL (Joe Burrow came from a spread offense, Patrick Mahomes came from the air raid, Kyler Murray came from an air raid inspired offense, etc).
Still, despite those questions being outdated, I can understand that criticism of Hooker.
What I don't understand, though, is how a draft analyst could look at Hooker's attitude and describe it as anything other than elite.
Rob Rang, a draft evaluator for Fox Sports, recently listed his top quarterback prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft.
To Rang's credit, he had Hooker in his top five (at No.3).
But when he listed his grades for each player's attributes, he gave Hooker's "attitude" an 8.5 (out of 10).
This may not seem like a big deal, but it's somewhat insulting to Hooker.
I'm not sure I've ever seen a college football player with a better attitude than Hooker. He's elite in every possible way when it comes to his demeanor. Hooker is a great leader and a great teammate. He does everything the right way, he respects his opponents, and he respects the game.
I mean, the guy wrote a book for children called "The ABCs of Scripture for Athletes". I don't think his character and attitude could be any more elite.
Rang also rated Hooker's anticipation at 8.5, which is wild considering Hooker plays in the fastest offense in the country and his anticipation has to be top-notch to make the Vols' offense work.
I'm not sure Rang is actually that familiar with Hooker beyond what the box score says. Because he'd have a different view of Hooker if he had actually spent some time watching him play and watching him interact with the media.
Update:
Rang explained his reasoning behind his grades in an article. And in fairness to Rang, I've included his analysis below:
It used to be viewed as a red flag when a player (especially a quarterback) opted to transfer rather than stick it out with his initial college team. But with QBs like Kyler Murray (Texas A&M, Oklahoma), Jalen Hurts (Alabama, Oklahoma), Joe Burrow (Ohio State, LSU) and Justin Fields (Georgia, Ohio State) all taking the circuitous route to success prior to the NFL, scouts are learning to appreciate that young quarterbacks can mature through these transitions. Frankly, I love that Hooker has enjoyed great success in wildly different offenses, environments and competition. He is a poised and respected leader of his team and plays with emotion and grit.
When grading the top quarterbacks, little things make the difference. And I suppose Rang viewed Hooker's decision to transfer from Virginia Tech as the only thing that separated him "attitude-wise" from Young. Objectively speaking, I can understand that, even if I don't necessarily agree.
You can check out the rest of Rang's analysis here.
Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
