Hendon Hooker Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile
Measurables
Hendon Hooker 40 Yard Dash Time: 4.75 (estimate)
6’4” / 218 lbs.
Hendon Hooker Draft Profile
Hendon Hooker is a former 4-star recruit out of Dudley High School in Greensboro, NC. According to 247sports, he was rated as the 245 out of all the players in the 2017 recruiting class. However he was graded as the 5th best dual threat quarterback in the nation and 7th best player in North Carolina. While at Dudley High School, he gained interest from 22 schools, 18 of which offered him a scholarship. After visiting Oregon and Virginia Tech, he decided to take his talent to Blacksburg, Virginia and play for the Hokies.
Before I start talking about his college career, I want to talk about his high school stats. Hendon Hooker had a tremendous high school career. According to MaxPreps, in three varsity seasons, he completed 62.8% of his passes for 6,027 yards and 55 touchdowns. He also racked up 2,975 rushing yards and 48 rushing touchdowns.
Now that I have discussed his high school career, it is time to discuss his journey through college. As I mentioned earlier, Hendon Hooker committed to Virginia Tech while in high school. After only playing a total of 902 snaps through his first three seasons at VT, he decided to transfer. After putting his name in the transfer portal, there was one school that stood out to him more than others. There was a school that offered him a scholarship in high school, and that school is none other than Tennessee. Now that he has found a home in Knoxville, Tennessee, let’s talk about what makes him a special talent.
Strengths
Patience in Pocket
When Hooker is given time in the pocket, he is one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the nation. His offensive line does a great job of buying him time in the pocket. He does a good job of reading the field and if needed, directing traffic. When he is in the pocket, and not being pressured, he makes very few mistakes. You will rarely see him force a throw that is not here. If no receiver is open, he will take matters into his own hands and punish the defense with his feet.
Short and Intermediate Throw Accuracy
Personally, I don’t think Hooker gets enough appreciation for how accurate he is on short and intermediate passing plays. I have watched countless snaps of him where he places the ball exactly where it should be. Against Florida, he did a fantastic job of hitting his receivers in stride in the middle of the field. He did this by either placing the ball directly in front of them at chest level or slightly above the facemask. This allows the receiver to continue running with the momentum they gained during their route.
Athleticism
When watching Hendon Hooker on film, what stands out the most is his athleticism. He has great mobility outside of the pocket and on designed QB run plays. This often keeps defenses guessing because he can gain yards by passing the ball or scrambling for a big gain. I will say that I am worried about his footwork when inside the pocket. But I will talk more about that later when I get to his weaknesses. Overall, Hendon Hooker is a tremendous athlete and can be a dangerous dual-threat quarterback in the NFL. Hopefully, he can put up some good numbers at the 2023 NFL Combine in March.
Quick Release
One of Hendon Hooker’s biggest strengths is his quick release. I have watched many Tennessee games where he is the starting quarterback and he releases the ball within 2 seconds. I should mention that if his target is not open, he then sits back and makes a play elsewhere. But when watching their game against Florida, they ran a lot of screen passes. In most of those plays, the receiver would get open off the snap and Hooker would get it to them in seconds. This is something I love to see from an NFL-caliber quarterback, because the NFL is a fast-paced game.
Weaknesses
Off-Balance Throws
Although Hooker is one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the nation, he needs to improve his off-balance throws. When watching his film, I get excited when I see Hooker move out of the pocket. He is a tremendous playmaker and can get very creative when outside of the pocket. But, I think he needs to work on his accuracy when throwing the ball on the run. I am especially concerned when Hooker rollins out to his right and makes throws. There were several plays where he would have an open receiver within 10 yards of him and he misses the mark. If he wants to have a future in the NFL, he needs to work on his off-balance throws.
Deep Accuracy
Hendon Hooker has one of the best arms in college football. But I have some concerns about his deep throw accuracy. Although he has the arm strength to get the ball deep, he lacks the touch needed when throwing deep. When watching his film, he is rarely able to drop the ball in the perfect spot on a high arch. Instead, he throws the ball a little flatter with more velocity. This makes it more difficult for receivers to catch the ball over their shoulder. This is something that can easily get fixed with time, but is still a red flag nonetheless.
Footwork
When watching his footwork, I was a little concerned. Hooker tends to be flat-footed in the pocket. This is a big reason as to why I think he is inconsistent when throwing deep and on the run. Also, although Hooker is very athletic, this has affected his mobility in the pocket in the past. This is not something an NFL GM wants to see from a dual-threat quarterback. They want their guy to be light on his feet and be able to move around inside and outside the pocket. If Hendon Hooker works on his footwork prior to the draft, I think he could be a solid player in the NFL. But as of right now, I would keep him as a backup for a few years before experimenting with him.
Hendon Hooker Draft Stock
I think Hendon Hooker has a little way to go before he is a 1st or early 2nd rounder. Personally, the highest that I would be comfortable in taking him is in the 3rd. This is because I have some concerns about aspects of his game that are vital to NFL success. I think he would be best fit for a team who currently has a bridge quarterback. This would give Hooker time to work out the kinks before starting in the NFL.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think that Hooker could have a bright future in the NFL if the stars are aligned. He has tremendous mobility, pocket patience, and short to intermediate throw accuracy. As I mentioned earlier, he would best work for a team who is looking for a new QB a few years down the line. But before I would consider drafting him, I need to see some improvement on the weaknesses mentioned above.
Player Comparison
Out of all the dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL, his strengths and weaknesses remind me of Desmond Ridder.
Hendon Hooker Scouting Report Analyst – Matthew Lewis
