Getty Sean McVay speaks with Matthew Stafford on November 6, 2022 in Tampa.
The last time the Los Angeles Rams drafted a quarterback was before Sean McVay took the head coaching reins — which was in 2016 and when Jared Goff came to the “Rams House.”
Given the uncertainty behind center outside of Matthew Stafford, the Rams may need to pivot to the draft to fill some depth. The Rams aren’t just in a situation where they may lose Baker Mayfield, but could lose their two mobile quarterbacks in John Wolford and Bryce Perkins as both are free agents.
Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network on Friday, February 24 dropped this idea for the Rams: Take in a dynamic 6-foot-4 passer who “can do everything” if placed in McVay’s offense. That dual-threat is Southeastern Conference (SEC) star quarterback Hendon Hooker of Tennessee.
“I really like Hendon Hooker,” Jeremiah said during a conference call with reporters (h/t Rams Wire on USA Today). “I think he is a good player. I think he can do everything that Sean McVay wants to do. I think you start with accuracy and decision-making. He can move around, so you are going to be able to use all that stretch boot. He is going to be very comfortable doing that. He can think the game really well.”
Hooker Re-Elevated Sleeping Giant in College Football
Hooker is best revered in Knoxville, Tennessee for helping wake up a sleeping giant in the college football realm.
Before the 2022 season, the Volunteers went 14 years without producing a double-digit winning campaign. During that time, UT produced eight seasons of finishing below the .500 mark which included four straight seven-loss seasons to start the 2010 decade.
Hooker, though, got Tennessee to start 8-0 including upsetting No. 3 Alabama 52-49. Hooker went on to throw for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and was intercepted just twice.
His season, however, got cut short due to a torn ACL…and that injury leads to some of his primary concerns for scouts.
Knee Injury Expected to Start Conversations When Teams Evaluate Him, Draft Expert Says
While Jeremiah is a believer in Hooker’s fit for the Rams, one other draft expert Lance Zierlein of nfl.com believes that Hooker’s knee injury will be among the first things brought up in conversations with NFL teams.
“Hooker’s age and ACL tear will be starting points for many draft conversations,” Zierlein began. He added, “but the most important question to be answered is whether he can thrive outside of the Tennessee offense.”
Zierlein wrote how the 25-year-old Hooker was a “half-field reader” of defenses. But that meant that he would lean on a defense’s spacing and route combinations from his Volunteer receivers to attack opponents. Zierlein also pointed out where Hooker’s accuracy was highest in.
“He’s more accurate outside the numbers than between the hashes and his deep ball placement was much more uneven than expected,” Zierlein wrote. “However, Hooker plays with excellent poise and footwork as a pocket passer. He will make quarterback coaches and play-callers happy with his adherence to keeping plays on schedule.”
Sounds like a McVay quarterback, as Stafford when healthy was one who attacked with on-schedule plays rather than extending plays under pressure. And the Rams being a team reliant on shifts, motions and play action can bode well for Hooker if brought in.
And despite his age, perhaps the Rams will love how experienced Hooker already is as someone who has five seasons of college football on his resume, as he got his start with Virginia Tech before becoming beloved at Tennessee.