Las Vegas: Hendon Hooker is the clear QB answer for the Raiders long term
Hendon Hooker is visiting with the Las Vegas Raiders, and the organization should look to invest in draft capital in him. He could be the quarterback answer.
The Las Vegas Raiders shouldn't turn to the quarterback position early in the 2023 NFL Draft.
But if the organization does go quarterback at pick No. 7, the Raiders should look no further than Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker. It isn't even a debate.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Hooker is scheduled to meet with the Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has already met with the Detroit Lions, who have two first-round picks in the 2023 draft, on Wednesday. It's clear Hooker has been busy, but the Raiders need to make sure that, if the organization goes quarterback, it's him who is in the silver and black.
Hooker began his career at Virginia Tech, but after things didn't go as planned there, he transferred to Tennessee. Once playing in Knoxville, Hooker set the college football world on fire.
The 2021 season saw Hooker complete 68.0 percent of his passes for 2,945 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. He also was effective on the ground. He ran for 616 yards and five scores.
When the 2022 season rolled around, Hooker took his game to another level.
He completed 69.6 percent of his passing attempts for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and two interceptions, to go along with 430 yards and five scores in the ground game.
Hooker was a dual-threat quarterback who didn't make bad decisions, and if not for a late-season injury, he may have been the Heisman winner.
But why should the Raiders take Hooker?
Las Vegas recently invested in Jimmy Garoppolo. He's a fine quarterback, but given the length and size of the contract, it is clear the organization is looking elsewhere in the future.
Hooker is that future. He wouldn't be pressed to start right away with Garoppolo being the starter. Given two years to learn the NFL game and the fact that he is already an older quarterback, the transition from Garoppolo to Hooker would be seamless.
Additionally, because the Raiders already have Garoppolo, the team wouldn't have to worry about the state of Hooker's knee during the 2023 NFL season.
He has time to rehab. Garoppolo affords him that.
And at 6-foot-3 and about 220 pounds, he looks like a prototypical NFL quarterback. He won’t have trouble seeing the middle of the field. He can take contact. He is also fast and sees the field well as a scrambler. He gained more than 2,000 rushing yards in college, even though the NCAA is insistent that sacks count as negative yards.
That is how good Hooker was.
Then there is his arm accuracy. He has a knack for placing the ball only where his receivers can catch it. And in a league that always prioritizes arm strength, having pin-point accuracy is a trait that often goes overlooked.
The Raiders won't have to teach Hooker much of anything regarding mechanics and decision-making. All he would have to learn is how to play in head coach Josh Mcdaniel's system.
The move for Hooker makes too much sense. If Las Vegas turns to a quarterback early in the draft, he is the player they can't ignore.
