Seattle Seahawks select Hendon Hooker in ESPN GM mock draft
In ESPN’s general manager mock draft, Mike Tannenbaum, the former GM of the New York Jets, has Seattle going quarterback with the No. 5 pick.
If things go according to Mike Tannenbaum's plan, the Seattle Seahawks will have a new quarterback prospect in town — Tennessee's Hendon Hooker.
Tannenbaum, the former general manager of the New York Jets, put together a GM mock draft for ESPN, where he predicted Seattle would opt for a quarterback early, despite having Geno Smith and Drew Lock under contract.
The main argument to justify the selection by Tannenbaum was Hooker's potential as an NFL quarterback. He billed him as a signal caller who can lead an NFL offense to new heights.
In that same mock draft, Tannenbaum predicted that the NFL combine star quarterback Anthony Richardson would fall to the Tennessee Titans at pick No. 11.
On the surface, the former general manager looks all over the place. But when you read his argument for Seattle selecting Hooker, it makes sense.
Take a look for yourself:
"OK, this one might raise some eyebrows, but hear me out. I think Hooker is really under-scouted right now, largely because he's coming off the torn ACL in his left knee. But I love his strong arm and 6-3 frame. Before the injury, Hooker looked great for the Vols. He led the nation in yards per attempt (9.5), threw two interceptions over 11 starts and was a top-10 passer in terms of completion percentage (69.6%). I see a potential franchise quarterback and someone who can lead an offense. Go watch his performance against Alabama if you disagree… The Seahawks recently re-signed Geno Smith, but this is an excellent opportunity to draft and develop Hooker while also letting him rehab the knee. Smith turns 33 this season, and his new contract offers Seattle various outs over the next three seasons."
Hooker put Tennessee back on the map during the 2022 college football season. At 6-foot-3, he possesses good NFL size. The only downsides of his game are his age (25) and the ACL injury he sustained late in the college football season.
Still, he was electric when he was healthy. He threw for 6,080 yards and 58 touchdowns and completed 68.8 percent of his passes during his two years in Knoxville.
With Smith under contract for some time, Hooker won't be pressed to be the full-time starter the moment he comes into the league.
It is possible that Hooker could become Seattle's starter by 2024, and from there, it is easy to see him having a long career as a starter in the NFL.
But at pick five, it does feel like Seattle would be reaching for a talent the franchise could select later in the draft.
