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Not initially projected as one of the top four quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker saw himself slip out of the first round on Thursday night as just three quarterbacks were taken.
Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Florida’s Anthony Richardson all heard their names called within the first four picks, and the expectation was a couple more signal-callers would follow suit.
But it never happened.
Hooker, 25, is recovering from an ACL tear, which hurt his draft stock a bit, but there were still a few people who thought he could have sneaked his way into the first 31 picks.
Despite the disappointment, there are still several landing spots that could be a good fit for him over the next couple of rounds or so.
Tennessee TitansKeeping Hooker near Rocky Top would be real nice for the Titans, not to mention it would play well with the organization’s fanbase. Hooker became beloved in Tennessee after he led the Volunteers to one of their most successful campaigns in recent years.
He went 9-2 as a starter in 2022 and threw for 3,135 yards to go along with 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also added 430 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
It may be difficult to picture the Titans selecting another quarterback after they drafted Malik Willis in the third round last year. But Willis struggled mightily last season when stepping in for an injured Ryan Tannehill.
Willis went 1-2 in his three starts and threw for just 276 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
So, general manager Ran Carthon—who did not draft Willis—may not be shy about continuing to build up his quarterback depth behind a soon-to-be 35-year-old Tannehill.
Minnesota VikingsIn the lead-up to the draft, the Vikings were actually the favorites to select Hooker with +350 odds (bet $100 to win $350), and it’s not difficult to see why.
With his injury, Hooker will need plenty of time to rehab, which gives him the opportunity to learn from one of the more savvy but perhaps inconsistent starters in the league in Kirk Cousins, who is set to become a free agent in 2024.
Hooker will be given all the time that he needs and may become the organization’s top option in 2024 if he’s drafted there.
However, the Vikings’ next selection isn’t until the third round. So, they might have to move up unless they want to risk missing out on a potential Cousins successor.
Seattle SeahawksAfter giving a new, shiny deal to Geno Smith, the Seahawks may seem set at quarterback. But the franchise still has one eye pointed toward the future.
Smith signed a three-year, $75 million deal at the beginning of the offseason, and there were still rumors that the organization may have been wanting to take another signal-caller with the No. 5 pick.
But with the top three prospects off the board, Seattle wound up selecting defensive back Devon Witherspoon at that slot.
But the organization may still take a swing on a guy like Hooker in the later rounds to bolster the depth behind Smith.
Los Angeles RamsAnother team with an aging quarterback, the Rams were caught flat-footed when Matthew Stafford went out for the year with a spinal injury This past season was one of the weaker title defenses in recent NFL history.
And yet, Stafford is still the only quarterback on Los Angeles’ depth chart as of Thursday night.
The 35-year-old is going to need some better backup than what was provided for him in the past, and Hooker might be the answer, even though he might have to miss the beginning of the year.
In his final mock draft, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. actually had the Rams trading back up into the first round in order to select Hooker.
Los Angeles has its first pick of the draft at No. 36 overall. So, general manager Les Snead may not have to do any maneuvering to get his guy.