Getty Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes (L) and head coach Dan Campbell (R).
The Detroit Lions‘ short and long-term future looks like it may have never been brighter than it is at this moment in time.
Following Aaron Rodgers’ departure from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets, the Chicago Bears just now entering phase two of a rebuild around star quarterback Justin Fields, and massive re-tooling happening in Minnesota, the stage seems set for the Lions’ arrival.
Beyond a rosy outlook for the pride in 2023, Lions general manager Brad Holmes might have solidified Detroit’s status as a future NFC North heavyweight with his selection of former University of Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, with the No. 68 overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.
“I love him,” an NFC personnel executive said of Hooker, in a wide-ranging conversation with Heavy about the NFL draft. “I gave him a first-round grade. I had him as my No. 4 quarterback behind Will Levis. I had Hendon ahead of (Anthony) Richardson.”
Heavy spoke with a handful of current and former NFL executives and coaches to get their take on Hooker’s NFL upside, his fit with the Lions, and how he stacks up against the other quarterbacks in a class that saw four passers go off the board in the first two rounds.
Execs: Hendon Hooker a ‘Great Pick’ for Lions With ‘Legit’ NFL Upside
Hooker was well on his way to cementing his status as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 class, completing a career-high 69.6% of his passes for 3,135 yards with 27 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions, in 11 games, before a torn ACL ended his season and NFL draft audition.
Landing with the Lions might be a best-case scenario for Hooker, his NFL future, and possibly the upward trajectory of a franchise that fell one game shy of breaking a six-year postseason drought.
“That was a great pick for Detroit,” a coach of an NFL team that was in the market for a quarterback told Heavy. “They get to let him get healthy and learn for a year behind Jared Goff.
“Hooker has the talent to be the guy in time, while not being thrown to the wolves as a rookie. You have no idea how much that’s going to benefit him.”
Goff, who led the Lions to a 9-8 record in 2022, is essentially entering the final year of his current deal. Signed through 2024, the Lions can save approximately $26.6 million against the cap, while triggering a $5 million dead-money charge, by releasing Goff in 2024.
“I have absolutely no problem giving Hendon a Round 1 grade,” the NFC executive said. “Going back and watching his tape, shoot, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have taken him ahead of Levis. I honestly think Hendon Hooker has the chance to be a legit NFL starter. Legit.”
Despite being unable to play in the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl, Hooker arrived in Mobile, Ala. to interview with the teams in attendance for the annual all-star game, and made quite an impression on the league … The Lions included.
“Detroit’s getting a developmental quarterback with good makeup,” Jim Nagy, the Executive Director of the Senior Bowl told Heavy. “He’s a smart and efficient player who consistently got better each year in college.
“Hendon is a good, but not great athlete. Detroit is a good fit, since they don’t need to rush him back onto the field.
At 25 years old, Lions head coach Dan Campbell believes Hooker has the requisite maturity not just to thrive as an NFL starter one day, but also to maximize what the team expects to be a “redshirt” year as he recovers from his torn ACL.
“He’s very mature,” Campbell told Chris Long on the Green Light podcast. “He looks the part, he’s got a big arm. He’s just got to learn to play in the NFL. He’s a pro, now, and I like the fact that he was older. We all kind of liked the fact that he was older.”
When Hooker does get the opportunity to start, he’d be taking the reigns of a roster that was the NFL’s youngest in 2022, that features dynamic receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and savvy veteran Marvin Jones Jr., along with upstart first-round running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, who has tremendous upside.
Given the pieces in place around him, if Hooker can reach his full potential, the Lions might finally have the franchise quarterback they’ve been searching for. Which could turn Detroit into a force to be reckoned with in the NFC North and beyond.
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Quote of the Week
“We lost because we played with 10 people.“All the trash talk coming from the Eagles fan base and the players, you just get tired of that.” – San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel on the team’s 31-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game
There has been a lot of chirping coming from San Francisco in the wake of worse than four-score defeat in the City of Brotherly Love that sent the Eagles to the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl appearance and the 49ers packing.
Certainly losing starting quarterback Brock Purdy to an elbow injury in the first half and Josh Johnson going down in the third quarter played a role in the 49ers’ collapse. But, even after Purdy’s injury, Samuel should be reminded that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan inexplicably decided to have George Kittle block Haason Reddick, a decision that played a starring role in Reddick producing two sacks that afternoon.
Further, the typically adaptable and innovative Shanahan scrapped all creative options; such as Samuel or running back Christian McCaffrey running out of the wildcat with Purdy and Johnson reduced to spectators for stretches, in favor of a conservative offensive attack despite both his quarterbacks struggling to physically throw the football.
The 49ers and GM John Lynch have taken some big swings in free agency; landing former Eagles high-octane defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, bolstering one of the NFL’s most disruptive defensive lines, bringing back defensive back T.Y. McGill, and landing an outright NFL draft steal in safety Ji’Ayir Brown, fortifying one of the league’s most dominating secondaries.
If San Francisco can figure out some sort of viable quarterback solution, the 49ers are going to be in the mix in a wide-open NFC for years to come, on the back of its defense alone. But Samuel, and others, re-litigating January’s NFC Championship loss does little but enlarge the target on the 49ers’ back from the reigning conference champs, and intensify a rivalry that may be in its infancy. Stay tuned.
Final Thought: The Buccaneers Should Trade for Austin Ekeler
Austin Ekeler remains available to the highest bidder, but according to sources, interest has been light in the 27-year-old fresh off 1,637 yards from scrimmage and 18 total touchdowns in 2022.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are serious about remaining contending in the NFC South, and beyond, general manager Jason Licht would trade for Ekeler.
Sure, the Buccaneers are in salary cap purgatory, currently $2.4 million over the cap, according to OverTheCap.com, and Ekeler is set to be paid $6.2 million in the final year of his deal in 2023. But, Licht and the Buccaneers could extend Ekeler, dropping his cap number in 2023, while dropping a versatile weapon into quarterback Baker Mayfield’s supporting cast.
It would take some accounting gymnastics, but teams have proven in the past that the salary cap isn’t prohibitive to adding game-altering talent.
In 2022, Ekeler caught 107 of his 123 targets, while garnering an 80.9 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus. Rachaad White and former Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette combined for 141 targets in 2022, Ekeler could elevate how the Buccaneers use the running back position in the passing game, as a proven touchdown-maker.
Of the veteran running backs available, Ekeler is the most dynamic of the bunch, and arguably the best schematic fit for the Buccaneers.