ESPN compares Vols QB Hendon Hooker to two-time NFL Pro Bowler
Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is hoping to be a first-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. More than that, though, Hooker is hoping for an opportunity with a team to prove that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Hooker had a terrific two years at Tennessee. But despite his impressive production, […]
Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is hoping to be a first-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
More than that, though, Hooker is hoping for an opportunity with a team to prove that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Hooker had a terrific two years at Tennessee. But despite his impressive production, Hooker has faced a litany of pre-draft questions about his ACL injury (suffered in November), his age (he turned 25 in January), and the unique offense he played in at UT.
All of those questions are fair — NFL teams leave no stone unturned when evaluating potential draft picks.
The answers to those questions, however, don't really tell us who Hooker will be as a pro quarterback. We know his ACL will be fine once he's fully recovered. And we know that his age just means his career will be a couple of years shorter than it would be if he were 22 years old. And the question about the offense he played in at Tennessee will answer itself soon enough.
But who is Hooker actually like as a quarterback? What kind of player can NFL teams expect?
ESPN did its best to answer that question and they think Hooker's game resembles Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's game.
Mike Tannenbaum, a former NFL general manager who now works for ESPN, made the comparison this week.
From ESPN: Prescott has been a productive top-12 quarterback in the NFL despite not having one real dominant trait. And I think Hooker (Tennessee) will have a very similar career. He has really good size at 6-foot-3, 217 pounds, arm strength and accuracy. While other quarterbacks in this class will get more hype, Hooker could ultimately be a 10-year starter in the NFL.
If Hooker turns out to be a Prescott-level player in the NFL, then he's definitely a guy that would be worthy of selecting in the first round.
Prescott, a two-time NFL Pro Bowler, might not be on the same level as players like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, but he's still one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. And he almost always gives the Cowboys a chance to have a special season. For whatever reason, Dallas just hasn't been able to break through with Prescott under center.
It's far too early to suggest what Hooker's ceiling might be in the NFL. But if he can have similar success as Dak, that would be a massive win for Hooker and the Vols as they look to show the rest of the country that Tennessee's offensive system effectively prepares quarterbacks for the NFL.
