(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
With the 2023 NFL Draft just a few weeks away, much of the quarterback buzz has centered around Bryce Young of the University of Alabama and Ohio State University’s C.J. Stroud, as well as Will Levis and Anthony Richardson to a lesser extent.
Hendon Hooker of the University of Tennessee has flown under the radar, as he isn’t nearly as well known as the four aforementioned signal-callers, but he is an interesting prospect in his own right.
There is a growing belief that he could be taken in the first round of the draft.
Several #NFL scouts reportedly believe that #Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker will be selected in the first round.
Hooker has met with the #Colts, #Texans, #Titans, #Giants, and #Bucs. pic.twitter.com/XL1iEWBUIi
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) April 2, 2023
Hooker, a native of North Carolina, started his college career at Virginia Tech University, where he played three unspectacular seasons.
He transferred to Tennessee for the 2021 campaign, when he notched 2,945 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns, and last season he had 3,135 passing yards while throwing for 27 touchdowns.
Hooker has done a good job of protecting the ball, as he has had only 12 interceptions during his entire college career.
His 2,091 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns also prove his ability to move the chains with his legs.
For his efforts in 2022, Hooker was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year while earning First-Team All-SEC honors as well.
The big concern with him is the torn ACL he suffered late last season against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.
However, Ian Rapoport recently reported that the QB is on track to play in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season.
#Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker, who tore his ACL in November, received positive medical reports here in Indy, sources say. He’s three months after the operation and on track to be ready for the season opener.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2023
There is no doubt that this year’s draft is full of interesting and viable QB prospects that could make a number of teams happy for years to come.
The post Scouts Say 1 Under-The-Radar QB Prospect May Go In First Round appeared first on The Cold Wire.