Hendon Hooker draft stock: NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah includes Vols QB as first-round pick in latest mock

Hendon Hooker was putting together a phenomenal season for Tennessee before a knee injury cut his year short. Not only did that injury end Hooker’s time with the Vols, but it also put a damper on his stock for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Nevertheless, Hooker has done what he can to boost his draft stock in the time since the season ended. Hooker impressed during the interview portion of the Senior Bowl and is reportedly on track to be available for Week 1 of the NFL season.

NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah also remains high on Hooker. In his latest mock draft, Jeremiah noted Hooker is “well-liked around the league” and had the Vol QB slated as a first-round pick.

Here’s what Jeremiah had to say about Hooker while projecting him to the Minnesota Vikings with the 23rd overall pick of the draft:

The Vikings have been doing their homework on this quarterback class. Hooker is well-liked around the league and he could sit for a year behind Kirk Cousins before taking over and ushering in a new era for Kevin O’Connell.

Hooker was the only QB outside of the “big 4” group of Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis that Jeremiah projects as a first-round pick. Considering the injury concerns related to Hooker, that is a great sign for the QB’s stock moving toward April.

Potential fit with Minnesota

While Hooker is a longshot to becoming a rookie starter in the NFL, landing with Minnesota could be an ideal fit for the QB to begin his career. Learning from Cousins and an offensive-minded coach like Kevin O’Connell would be beneficial for any young player.

After that, Hooker could have a shot at stepping into an offense that is likely to include Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook and TJ Hockenson. That type of opportunity could provide a jumpstart to Hooker’s NFL career.

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.