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Hendon Hooker is fluid on the soccer area and cell in NFL conference rooms, exactly where he’s been hurdling problems about his age, health and fitness and actively playing style.
The 25-yr-outdated previous Tennessee quarterback who tore the ACL in his left knee considerably less than 5 months back has put in his predraft visits with groups describing the complexity of the Volunteers’ seemingly simplistic unfold offense. It truly is 1 that has elevated worries about how his game will translate to the pros, exactly where he’ll have to read the whole field and not lock in on his major focus on so much.
“I can make any throw,” Hooker stated. “The way we operate our offense, the wide splits, these are all grown-adult males throws. I am not throwing any 5-lawn outs. These are all huge-boy balls.”
Hooker pounces at concerns about how he’ll do in a professional type offense.
“I cannot assist that defenders are not able to guard my receivers. My career is to get them the ball,” Hooker claimed. “A ton of these issues about one particular-sided reads, we have pure progressions and routes. It is really not my fault that my initial go through is getting open up.”
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And don’t be fooled, Hooker extra, you can find a large amount heading on underneath that awesome demeanor of his that will make it look like he is just leisurely taking part in catch.
Hooker figures to be the fifth quarterback picked in the NFL draft later this month, at the rear of sure-fireplace first-rounders Bryce Younger, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson.
“I truly like Hendon Hooker,” NFL Community draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah claimed, citing his precision, acumen and adjustability.
Hooker’s age — he’ll transform 26 by the finish of his rookie year — and health — he tore the ACL in his left knee in a activity towards South Carolina on Nov. 19 — have lots of predicting that he’ll slide into the 2nd spherical. But Jeremiah has him going to the Vikings at No. 23 in his newest mock draft.
The 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the 12 months put in three yrs at Virginia Tech and the very last two at Tennessee.
Patrick Mahomes is just two yrs older than Hooker but has already performed 6 NFL seasons and won a pair of Super Bowl rings. Jalen Hurts is 24 and has 3 years’ NFL experience and a Tremendous Bowl look.
“If you advised me you draft Hendon Hooker in the second spherical and he is your setting up quarterback or 7, eight really very good many years, I consider you acquire it,” Jeremiah mentioned. “I think Hendon Hooker has a opportunity to be a genuine worth decide on for an individual.”
Hooker could finish up sitting a yr at the rear of an founded starter, as well, a little something that would assuage any problems about his surgically repaired knee.
The extra pressing problem is how Hooker’s activity will translate to the next stage following functioning in Tennessee’s super unfold offense, in which he had to get the ball out lickety-break up and not often arrived off his 1st study.
Placing that design apart, “I’ll just say when you are assessing him, the precision, the selection-producing, the poise, the athleticism to be capable to transfer all around and build with his legs, to throw as very well as to operate, all those people things are all there,” Jeremiah siad.
At Tennessee, Hooker was what scouts connect with a “half-area reader.”
ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay figures that was extra a product or service of Josh Heupel’s offense than a flaw in Hooker’s activity.
“The studies from each individual group I have talked to about him is he is done a fantastic career getting on the board and understands principles and can go back again to his Virginia Tech playbook and recite almost everything like he was taking part in in it yesterday,” McShay reported. “That’s element of why it’s so significant with the quarterbacks to have unique time, personal workouts, private meetings, to actually examine their brain and how they master.”
Hooker relished displaying off his football acumen on the white boards.
“Any time I stroll past a mirror and there’s an Expo marker, I’m going to draw on the mirror,” Hooker reported. “That’s just something I get pleasure from carrying out for the reason that I appreciate the video game of soccer.”
Heupel reported the offense Hooker was asked to operate at Tennessee was not as simplistic as it looked.
“I’m not sure anybody in school soccer has much more on their plate than Hendon does,” Heupel reported. “Then, you toss in the tempo that we play at, you have obtained to be a brief selection-maker, you have got to understand defensive composition particularly swiftly. … He managed the overall match on each and every one engage in. I feel that puts him in a excellent placement to be equipped to changeover at the upcoming amount and tackle all that is coming at him.”
Heupel said the intangibles these as management and charisma are what will make Hooker somebody’s franchise quarterback.
“I’ve hardly ever been all around anybody that is been a stronger or a lot more impactful chief than Hendon Hooker is,” Heupel stated. “Our plan is not the place it is at nowadays except Hendon is a portion of our locker area.”