When it comes to the top quarterbacks in the NFL Draft this year, there hasn’t been a lot of discussion about Hendon Hooker. With the start of the draft just days away, Hooker is widely viewed as the fifth-best quarterback in the class, behind Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis.
Although most experts have Hooker ranked behind that group, there is at least one person out there who thinks Hooker is the best quarterback available this year and that someone is Hooker. During a recent interview with USA Today, the former Tennessee QB was asked where he would rank himself among the other quarterbacks, and he gave a very confident answer.
“Of course, I would have myself at No. 1. I won’t give you a ranking, but I will say I give myself No. 1,” Hooker said.
The 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year then went on to describe what sets him apart from the other four quarterbacks.
“My football IQ. How I’m able to process things at a high speed,” Hooker said. “My competitive nature and how accurate I am with the ball. I can make every level throw and also deadly in the run game as well.”
Last season, Hooker was having a phenomenal year before he tore his ACL in a November game against South Carolina. Before suffering that brutal injury, Hooker led the Vols to a 9-1 record while throwing 27 touchdown passes compared to just two interceptions over those 10 games.
Although he feels that he’s the best QB in this year’s class, he was complimentary of the four other quarterbacks, who are all expected to go in the first round.
“We all play completely different from another,” Hooker said. “Bryce is on the move and can make a lot of exciting plays with his arm and legs. He’s very cool to watch. C.J. has a very smooth throwing motion and can deliver the ball wherever he wants to. Will has a rocket of an arm and A.R. (Richardson) is a freak athlete. We all bring different traits to the table and we all want to compete at a high level.”
One reason Hooker’s stock seems to have taken a hit is because of his age. At 25, Hooker is much older than Richardson (20), Young (21) and Stroud (21). He’s also older than Levis, who turns 24 in June. Of course, Hooker doesn’t see his age as a disadvantage.
“It’s a long-term position. Tom Brady just finished at 45. The age limit on quarterbacks, there is none,” Hooker said. “Especially when you can do all the things that quarterbacks are doing. I think my attributes are seeing a lot of different football situations.
“That gives me that edge and my maturity trying to lead men gives me an advantage as well.”
Although Hooker is confident in himself, the fact of the matter is that he’ll almost certainly be the fifth QB off the board. The biggest question is whether he’ll go in the first round, and right now, our draft experts are split on that. Of the six mock drafts we have up on our NFL Draft page, only three of our six writers have Hooker getting selected in the first round. You can check out where each of those writers have him going by clicking here.
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Author: John Breech
April 24, 2023 | 2:31 pm
