Getty Seahawks general manager John Schneider (left) and head coach Pete Carroll appear to have won the Russell Wilson trade.
All signs point to the Seattle Seahawks re-signing Geno Smith, but that does not necessarily take the team out of the market for selecting a quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft. ESPN’s Matt Miller believes the Seahawks could target Tennessee star quarterback Hendon Hooker in the second round.
Seattle may be a perfect landing spot for Hooker as the playmaking quarterback continues to recover from an ACL injury. There would be no rush from the Seahawks perspective to have Hooker return to the field as the signal-caller could sit behind Smith. Miller projected Seattle selects Hooker with the No. 52 pick in his latest mock draft following the Senior Bowl.
“Seattle makes a move toward the future at quarterback, landing Hooker, who is arguably the best deep-ball thrower in the draft,” Miller wrote on February 6, 2023. “He is an older prospect (25) and is coming off a November ACL injury, but over the past two seasons at Tennessee, he has thrown 58 touchdown passes to just five interceptions while constantly challenging defenses down the field. Hooker is no sure thing, but he’s a great investment at pick No. 52 to learn behind Geno Smith (assuming Seattle re-signs its starter) while getting healthy.”
Hendon Hooker Threw 27 Touchdowns & Just 2 Interceptions in 2022
Hooker threw for 3,315 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 69.6% of his passes in 11 appearances with Tennessee prior to sustaining a season-ending ACL injury in November 2022. The dynamic signal-caller also added 430 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Both head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have praised the quarterback class for 2023. It remains to be seen if this is simply posturing by Seattle in an attempt to get a team to trade up to snag a signal-caller. Re-signing Smith while also drafting an intriguing quarterback prospect like Hooker could offer Seattle the perfect compromise.
Smith far exceeded expectations during his first full season as the Seahawks starter, but it is admittedly a small sample size to tie the franchise’s future to the Pro Bowler. Drafting Hooker would give the Seahawks some insurance for the future just in case Smith regresses, and it still allows Seattle to build around the veteran quarterback with their other three picks in the first two rounds.
Hendon Hooker Could Sit Behind Geno Smith as the Seahawks QB of the Future
The former Vols quarterback has everything NFL teams are looking for in a signal-caller for today’s league with his mix of mobility and arm strength. Hooker also has the size at 6’4″ and 218 pounds but the one thing hanging over his head is being 25 years old, which makes him older than several established NFL quarterbacks.
Hooker attended the Senior Bowl week to meet with teams but was unable to participate in practices as he continues to recover from his injury. The early indications are that NFL franchises were impressed by their interactions with Hooker in Mobile.
“Teams might get their first opportunity to evaluate Hooker’s knee in a month at the scouting combine and again at the medical recheck before April’s draft,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe wrote on February 4. “It’s unclear if Hooker will be able to play in his rookie season because team medical staffs tend to evaluate players’ timelines on a different basis.
“Hooker, who was viewed as a strong leader by his Tennessee teammates, impressed with his team interviews this week, according to league officials. Even though he couldn’t work out, it sounds like his time in Mobile was well spent.”