There has been a ton of buzz recently around Hendon Hooker being not only a first round selection, but the third quarterback off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft. Some ridiculous mocks have him even projected as a top five pick. This should not be. You can find our Youtube breakdown of Hooker as a prospect here

It is hard not to like Hendon Hooker, and for the record we do… as a day 2 quarterback. He is a great leader by all accounts and appears to ac his interviews, so you know players will love to be on the field with him. But, there are factors working against Hooker.

First, he is already 25. One may not see this as a big deal, but there is so little history for first round quarterbacks being this old or older for a reason. The only one in recent memory is Brandon Weeden (which is not good company to be with). He is more pro ready than other QBs in this class, but that does not mean there will not be crucial development that could take years (in general for quarterbacks not exclusive to Hooker). It is feasible that he would not reach his ceiling until 27 or 28. Yes good quarterbacks can play until 37, but a team drafting him would still be picking up his 5th year option for his age 30 season, not 26 like most first rounders.

Second, he is coming off an ACL tear. While he appears to be progressing well, there is no saying how he will look (especially mobility wise) after completing his recovery. Any prospect coming off a major injury is a risk as a first rounder, let alone someone who is 25 with his mobility being a decently big part of his game.

Lastly, and this is purely our opinion, we do not feel he is a first round quarterback grade wise. At best he is a game manager with athletic ability (a la Mitchell Trubisky), who you can trust but will not elevate those around him. If you feel, as a team, that this is good enough for you than by all means go for it. But, we would be far more comfortable taking him on day 2 even considering the 5th year option you get from day 1.