Well that’s something: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the New Orleans Saints are flying in Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker for an official visit on Tuesday, making him one of the 30 prospects in the 2023 NFL draft that the Saints are allowed to host for private meetings at the team facility in Metairie.
You’d think the Saints wouldn’t be interested in drafting another quarterback highly after signing Derek Carr to a massive contract in free agency, but they designed that contract with an exit ramp just two years into the four-year deal. If Carr doesn’t meet expectations, it could be worthwhile to have an experienced backup quarterback ready to go in the near future.
Hooker is one of the most prolific passers in this draft class, even if he’s going to need some time to adapt to NFL standards after running a timing-and-spacing based offense that took advantage of some quirks to the college game. He’s also an able threat to make plays on the ground with his legs.
But there are some warts on his scouting report. For one thing, Hooker is coming off a season-ending ACL injury, though he’s said he expects to participate in training camp wherever he’s drafted. For another, he’s one of the older prospects in this year’s rookie class, and if he doesn’t play until 2025, he won’t see meaningful snaps until he’s 28 years old.
No one cares about that if he plays at a high level for a decade once he’s in the lineup, but it would be really tough to justify passing on players who could help the Saints right now in the top two or three rounds. We’ll see where he ends up on draft day.
