Getty Hendon Hooker looks on before a 2022 game against Georgia.
The Detroit Lions have checked off plenty of needs early in free agency, and most of those have come on the defensive side of the ball for good reason.
The team’s defense ranked 32nd in the league last year, while their total offense placed fourth. With that in mind, it didn’t make sense for Detroit to do lots of shopping on offense.
Still, one spot has gone unfilled that many assumed the team may look at in free agency. The longer things go without a signing at quarterback, the more likely it is the Lions look at filling the spot in the draft.
If that happens, which prospect makes the most sense for the team? Recently, NFL.com writer Eric Edholm took a look at matching teams with their best quarterback fits. As Edholm wrote, he thinks the Lions match up well with Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker.
“Having won eight of 10 down the stretch in 2022 to make a valiant run at the playoffs, the Lions are contenders now. Which is why a player such as Hooker feels like an almost perfect concession to the need for a future QB. They can get a guy with some Round 1 traits — arm talent, athleticism, experience and a good physical build — without paying a premium price. Hooker then can spend Year 1 continuing to rehab the torn ACL he suffered late last season and immerse himself in Ben Johnson’s offense, with little pressure to contribute immediately,” he wrote.
In terms of why this could be the case, Edholm made a great point. As he wrote, the Lions drafted and then stashed Jameson Williams much of 2022, which could show their patients on these matters.
“It may be a bit like comparing apples to kumquats, but the Lions did trade up to spend a first-round pick on receiver Jameson Williams in the ’22 draft, knowing there was a chance he might not provide much in Year 1 coming off his own ACL tear. Granted, the stakes have changed in Detroit one year later — the Lions could be the NFC North favorites, with Aaron Rodgers on his way out of the division. But the move for Williams at least gives us a window into how the Lions view a prospect coming off a significant injury, and shows they’re not just thinking one year at a time with these draft picks,” Edholm wrote.
Detroit was already spotted with Hooker at the Senior Bowl, so he could have a connection to the staff. Taking a flier on him in the third-round might not be a bad idea for the Lions.
At this point, Edholm sees Hooker as Detroit’s best fit and not the bevy of other first-round prospects at the position such as Anthony Richardson, Will Levis or Bryce Young. For this reason, he is a name to remember.
Lions Quarterback Room Could Fit Hendon Hooker
Why is Hooker an ideal prospect for the Lions? He offers the team some youth and playmaking while also offering them a solution in time for a big problem on their roster.
The Lions have struggled developing young quarterbacks, and it’s a fact that their general manager Brad Holmes has discussed openly since the offseason began. With this in mind, it seems wise to predict the Lions will spend a draft pick on the position this year.
Jared Goff is entrenched as the starter, and isn’t going anywhere. Goff’s play down the stretch when he would finish with 29 touchdowns and 4,438 yards passing as well as a Pro Bowl birth was good enough to solidify his role with the team.
Still, with free agent Nate Sudfeld in the mix as his backup and still unsigned, the Lions could elect to look for a younger player to develop behind Goff. Enter Hooker, who has the blend of arm strength and playmaking that teams covet in the league.
Hooker has shown during his time in college he can be an explosive playmaker. Injury late in the season may have pushed him down the board, and that could be to Detroit’s advantage. Behind Goff, Hooker could get the kind of hands-on experience and time to grow in the league that he needs.
Perhaps the Lions bring in a veteran and have Hooker or a third quarterback on the roster. That kind of situation could be ideal for him as he recovers from ACL surgery and also adjusts to the league.
Hendon Hooker’s College Stats & Highlights
Detroit’s potential fit with Hooker is intriguing in the draft process for these reasons and many others. He has plenty of raw talent, but also sustained a tough injury this past season which could threaten his future development.
While Hooker put up 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions in 2022 as a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, he also was felled by a torn ACL in November of last year, which is certain to impact his draft stock. Combine that with his age (25), and Hooker is sure to be a polarizing prospect.
There’s no questioning the ability of the quarterback that transferred from Virginia Tech to Tennessee in 2021, however. Hooker put up 8,974 yards in his career and 80 passing touchdowns to just 12 interceptions. He also added 2,079 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground, proving his dual-threat impact.
The news sounds good on Hooker’s progress, and as he told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network in January, he could be back running by March, which could leave him on track for a training camp return.
As the process draws on, the Lions look like they remain a very good fit for Hooker when all is said and done. There is just over a month to go before fans find out whether or not that is the case.