ALLEN PARK — The Lions moved down in the third round on Friday and selected 25-year-old quarterback Hendon Hooker who played at Tennessee.
It’s likely Hooker dropped down the draft board because he’s coming off an ACL tear that occurred on Nov. 19. Jared Goff is the Lions’ starter but they needed to add a quarterback along with Goff and Nate Sudfeld.
Hooker said he’s looking forward to working with Goff and learning from him.
“I’ll be a sponge, come in and learn every nuance of how to be a pro. Just admire him,” Hooker said on Friday night. “He’s been in the league for a long time and he’s been doing a great job of developing every year…and that’s all you can ask for.”
Hooker, who is 6-foot-3 and 217, was an early Heisman favorite in 2022, eventually winning SEC Offensive Player of the Year and being named a third-team Associated Press All-American. He threw for 3,135 yards (229-329-69.6%) and 27 scores (against just two interceptions) and rushed for 430 yards (104 carries, 4.1 per) and five touchdowns in 11 starts before he suffered a torn left ACL that ended his season.
He said he’s taking his knee rehab day by day and didn’t give a projected date on when he could return to the field. “When I’m ready to rock ‘n’ roll it’s going to be a site to see,” said Hooker who met with the team in Allen Park during the pre-draft process.
Hooker has a long-time connection with Lions GM Brad Holmes who played with his dad, Alan, at North Carolina A&T.
At Tennessee, Hooker led the nation’s top offense with an FBS-best 9.53 yards per pass attempt. He also ranked second in pass efficiency (175.5) and seventh in completion percentage in 2022 and set Tennessee records by throwing 261 passes without an interception and recording a touchdown pass in 20 straight games.
Hooker started his college career at Virginia Tech and took over the quarterback role at Tennessee in 2021.
Hooker’s NFL.com draft prospect bio reads: “Hooker’s age and ACL tear will be starting points for many draft conversations, but the most important question to be answered is whether he can thrive outside of the Tennessee offense. Hooker was frequently a half-field reader, which means he could lean on spacing, speed and/or route combinations to make life easier. He’s more accurate outside the numbers than between the hashes and his deep ball placement was much more uneven than expected. However, Hooker plays with excellent poise and footwork as a pocket passer. He will make quarterback coaches and play-callers happy with his adherence to keeping plays on schedule. He’s still showing signs of improvement and growth at the position, and his ability to hurt teams with his legs creates opportunities to help his offense outside of what he does in the pocket. His recovery from the ACL tear will require monitoring, but he has the talent to become a starter in a timing-based, spread offense.’’
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