Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker was selected 25 spots after Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

That's despite the fact that Hooker dramatically outplayed Levis over the last two years (Hooker and Levis both transferred into the SEC ahead of the 2021 season). 

Hooker ended up landing with the Detroit Lions in the draft (No. 68 overall) while Levis was selected by the Tennessee Titans (No. 33 overall). 

NFL scouts were seemingly split on Hooker and Levis. There were some scouts who preferred the big arm and physical stature of Levis, while other scouts liked Hooker's always-poised demeanor and incredible maturity. 

The scouts that loved Levis would cite things like his toughness as a reason why he'll have success in the NFL. They seemed to overlook Hooker's toughness. Hooker didn't make a big deal about playing through various ailments, but he played through some nagging injuries at times in 2022. In the Vols' big win against LSU, for example, Hooker took a big hit from Tigers safety Greg Brooks in the first half. 

Here’s the play that Jerry Mack was referencing pic.twitter.com/qirFvuFNJz

— zach ragan (@zachTNT) October 12, 2022

After the game, Hooker told reporters that it was a clean hit from the LSU defender and he was feeling good. A source said that Hooker was actually in quite a bit of pain from that hit (which was noticeable at times) and it impacted him more than fans and media realized. Hooker's toughness, however, allowed him to continue to play at a high level against the Tigers. 

The toughness of Hooker is just one reason why he could have a better NFL career than Levis. 



Here are three other reasons why the former Vols superstar is poised to have a more successful career than Levis. 

Hendon Hooker’s leadership

I’ve always felt like one of the most overlooked traits in an NFL QB is leadership. Of course every QB says they’re a leader. But very few QBs have the ability to rally a team via their natural presence. Some guys just “have it” while others have to work hard at it (which often results in coming off as disingenuous). Hooker proved over the last two years to be an elite leader at Tennessee. His teammates rallied around him and seemingly praised him in every interview. Hooker, meanwhile, always put the praise back on his team. When the media asked him about his success, it was always his teammates that Hooker would mention. Levis, on the other hand, always felt like he was trying to be someone he wasn’t. His leadership efforts felt forced and unnatural at UK. And that led to some strange moments on the Kentucky sideline where many times Levis would be seen appearing to “pout” when things didn’t go his way. The way Hooker interacted with his teammates was something that Lions GM Brad Holmes pointed out as a positive after drafting the former Tennessee QB. “There were little things that kind of stood out to me in terms of, you know, he’d score a touchdown, and instead of him being on the bench with the headset on, or talking to the coach in the box, he’s standing on the sideline waiting to congratulate his extra-point team” — Holmes on Hooker

Hendon Hooker’s proven production

Throughout the pre-draft process, it felt like excuses were made for Levis for his lack of production (injuries, poor play calling, drops by wide receivers) while Hooker’s production was downplayed because of the offensive system he played in at Tennessee. That’s not exactly fair to Hooker but it is what it is. The facts are simply that Hooker has produced at a higher level than Levis while both played against SEC competition (Levis, by the way, never played Alabama while Hooker faced the Crimson Tide twice). Hooker’s 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns and five interceptions in 24 games at Tennessee compared to Levis’s 5,232 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions in 24 games at Kentucky tell the only story that really matters. Hooker performed at an elite level against SEC competition and took care of the football while Levis performed at a mediocre level and didn’t take care of the football. 

Hendon Hooker landed in a better NFL situation

Elite quarterbacks can overcome a tough situation in the NFL (just look at Joe Burrow with the Cincinnati Bengals). But situations still matter in most cases in the NFL when it comes to future success. And there’s no doubt that Hooker landed in a better situation with the Lions than Levis did with the Titans. Detroit is a team on the rise that nearly made the playoffs last season. The Titans, meanwhile, are a team moving quickly in the wrong direction. The Titans’ roster has been decimated over the last couple of years thanks to some disastrous moves by previous GM Jon Robinson. New GM Ran Carthon isn’t off to a good start in Nashville after a lackluster draft that featured the Titans not taking a wide receiver until the seventh round despite having arguably the worst wide receiver room in the NFL. It doesn’t sound like Levis will be set up for success while Hooker seemingly landed with the next “it team” in the NFC (sources close to Hooker indicated to me that Detroit was one of his preferred landing spots). 

Hooker obviously has to go prove now that he's a better NFL option than Levis. But if I was placing a bet on one of these quarterbacks to succeed at the next level, I'm taking Hooker without blinking.