Two things can be true at the same time.

One is, of all the guys I’m pulling for to have NFL success, Hendon Hooker is at the top of that list. Spend any time talking to him and you’ll see why. He’s confident without being cocky, he’s personable, he goes to bat for his teammates, he didn’t give up on football when the sport had seemingly given up on him and he’s electric to watch.

He’s also not one to throw a family member under the bus when they forget to bring cigars into Neyland:

Admirable, in every way.

The other thing that’s true is I don’t care if Hooker gets picked in the first round or later. I won’t criticize teams for passing on him. There’s no example of a 25-year-old quarterback working his way back from a torn ACL who was a no-doubter first-round pick. Add in the questions about his offensive scheme — some of the concern is a touch overblown — and I can understand why Hooker might not hear his name called on Thursday night, despite the late buzz.

If he slips to Round 4? OK, then we’re having a different discussion.

But the discussion I find myself having internally is about where I’d like to see Hooker wind up. That, as we know, is going to be the biggest external factor in whether he succeeds in the NFL. Go to the wrong place (Matt Corral) and you can be in a no-win situation with new management. Go to the right place (Pat Mahomes) and you can have a legitimate path to success with the team that drafted you.

Not everyone is Joe Burrow or Cam Newton and capable of lifting a franchise as a no-doubter No. 1 overall pick. Hooker won’t get that type of billing, nor should he.

Because I want him to succeed above all else, here are the 3 places I’d love to see Hooker end up:

1. Seahawks

Why that would be ideal — I know Geno Smith just got that new deal. But the Seahawks structured that contract so that they could essentially get out of it after a year in the event that Smith flops or they find a worthy successor in the NFL Draft. Hence, where Hooker steps in.

Once upon a time, Pete Carroll went against the pre-draft concerns about Russell Wilson and turned him into an ideal fit in their offensive scheme. That move was criticized. Heavily. If Hooker went to the Seahawks at No. 20 — remember that they also have the No. 5 overall pick from the Wilson trade — there would be plenty of people questioning why Carroll and Co. fell in love with him. Remember, Seattle hasn’t drafted a quarterback in the first 2 rounds in 30 years. Making Hooker that guy wouldn’t come without pushback.

But given how the Wilson trade played out along with Smith’s 2022 Comeback Player of the Year, it’s hard to argue with the common denominator. It’s Carroll and that organization. Give Hooker a chance to be the guy in Seattle. Drew Lock isn’t running with that opportunity, even if he’s in line to enter the season as the backup. Hooker could walk into a situation in 2024 wherein he’s the guy, and he has Carroll and DK Metcalf at his disposal.

Sign me up for that.

2. Vikings

Why that would be ideal — If there’s a place that’s most common to see Hocker mocked, it’s Minnesota at No. 23.

Similar to the Seahawks, the Vikings have a 30-something starting quarterback who could be on another roster by this time next year. Kirk Cousins is entering a contract year. Kevin O’Connell hasn’t been able to handpick his quarterback yet, and based on the fact that the Vikings turned down a chance to give Cousins the 3-year deal he was looking for, it’s safe to say the Vikings could be looking to find his replacement in this year’s NFL Draft.

The Vikings have one of the top assets in the NFL in Justin Jefferson, who is actually a year and a half younger than Hooker. Finding him his quarterback of the future as his extension is being negotiated seems like smart business. Hooker can be that guy. We just watched Hooker help turn Jalin Hyatt into the Biletnikoff Award winner as someone who operated primarily out of the slot. Jefferson ranked 3rd in the NFL in slot production in 2022.

Learning behind Cousins for a year would give Hooker a chance to master the pro-style concepts that O’Connell’s offense demands. We forget that Hooker had to learn the Josh Heupel offense, which is indeed quarterback-friendly, but the decision-making and tempo needed to execute it is by no means natural. Hooker’s knock shouldn’t be “well he can’t learn a new offense.” That’s what he did at Tennessee. He can do it in the NFL, too.

Even as a Bears fan, I find myself wanting to see Hooker land in the Twin Cities.

3. Buccaneers

Why that would be ideal — I’m typically not big on being “the guy to replace the legend,” but we’ve seen it before and we’ll see it again. Steve Young replaced Joe Montana. Aaron Rodgers replaced Brett Favre. For all we know, Hooker is getting ready to place Tom Brady in Tampa, where they have the No. 19 overall pick and the No. 50 pick.

How many places in the NFL have a legitimate quarterback battles? And better yet, how many places in recent memory had true quarterback battles where the prize was getting to throw to guys like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin? Baker Mayfield could win the job, but he is in Year 6 in the NFL and he’s on his 4th team for a reason. Besides, he’s on a 1-year contract. Hooker’s ideal home doesn’t necessarily need him to be a Day 1 starter. How that Year 2 picture forecasts is pivotal.

There’s a chance that we’re all sleeping on the possibility of Kyle Trask emerging, but if the Bucs invest in Hooker with 1 of those first 2 picks, what would that say about their evaluation of him? Remember, it’s a new offensive staff in town. They weren’t the ones who pulled the trigger on Trask. They could be the ones who pull the trigger on Hooker.

How ironic it would be if we had all of this talk about Hooker’s age at 25 … and he ended up replacing a 45-year-old quarterback. I can absolutely see it.

Why not the Titans?

I get the geographical connection. I think many people assume that’s a thing when it’s really not. It’d be a fun storyline and that’s about it. The Titans don’t need to sell tickets. They need to win games. It’s not impossible to think that Hooker could be the best path to doing that, but I have some skepticism.

It’s bizarre to me that some are already out on Malik Willis after such a limited sample size in his rookie season. He was always going to be a project. That’s what a project looks like. If the Titans really do approach projects with that lack of patience, I’m worried about that would mean for Hooker. At the same time, I’m not sold that the Titans have totally moved on from Willis being a franchise quarterback, despite what has been rumored. It makes sense to at least see what they have in him in the event that they move on from Ryan Tannehill after 2023.

There is a new general manager in town, which is actually a positive for a rookie like Hooker. But the Titans also shuffled that offensive staff after firing coordinator Todd Downing. Derrick Henry is entering Year 8 at 29 years old for a team that appears to be in total rebuild mode. Outside of Treylon Burks, who has a long way to go to establish himself as a reliable NFL receiver, it’s hard to see a favorable offensive foundation for a rookie quarterback to work with.

It’s not that Hooker staying in the Volunteer State would be a bad development. There are just other places where his surroundings, though less familiar, would be more favorable.