Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker Met Extensively With Five Teams Before Combine

According to Ryan Fowler, Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker has already met extensively with five teams. 

The list includes the Cowboys, Giants, Panthers, Raiders and Saints. Teams like Carolina, Las Vegas and New Orleans notably are in need of quarterback help, while Dallas and New York might be evaluating Hooker as a potential backup.  

Hooker was still a participant in the Senior Bowl for meetings even though he has not been cleared to practice after tearing his ACL in November.

He was also invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins next week, where he will be available for formal interviews even if he can’t work out. 

There will likely be more interviews at the Combine, as well as Hooker’s pro day and potential top 30 visits to NFL team facilities ahead of the draft at the end of the April. 

Hooker will be one of the more interesting quarterbacks to watch in next year’s draft class, as a number of draft outlets had him rated as a possible Day 2 selection before his injury.

Hooker had been in the Heisman race in 2022 and the Athletic’s Dane Brugler noted  there is some “Geno Smith to his game, which has become a positive considering the way Smith has played in 2022.”

During his college career at Virginia Tech and Tennessee, Hooker completed 66.9 percent his passes for 8,975 yards, 80 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the course of five seasons and 45 games played. He also rushed for 2,079 yards and 25 touchdowns.