By all accounts, the top two quarterback prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft are Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud. But a recent report suggests that the No. 3 quarterback on the board is a surprising choice.
According to NFL Network reporter James Palmer via Dov Kleiman, “plenty” of teams have identified Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker as the third-best quarterback in the draft.
Palmer said that there’s a wide gap between Hooker and the top two quarterbacks, but that there’s also a gap between Hooker and the rest of the quarterbacks, specifically Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson.
Hooker was widely seen as a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft as he was leading the Vols to one of their best seasons in decades. But a season-ending ACL tear abruptly halted his momentum and might have cost him a spot in the first round.
Update: “Plenty” of NFL teams have Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker ranked as the 3rd QB prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft.@JamesPalmerTV: “There is a gap between the top two in Bryce Young and CJ Stroud” then Hooker slides between them and Anthony Richardson/Will Levis. pic.twitter.com/ebS82WILAL
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 7, 2023
When healthy though, Hendon Hooker was one of the best quarterbacks in college football last year. He was completing 69.6-percent of his passes for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns with only two interceptions prior to his injury.
Based on this report, teams may be willing to overlook his lack of readiness for the 2023 season if he’s as solid of a long-term prospect as he looks.
Will Hendon Hooker be the third quarterback off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft?