One of the fastest-rising players in the 2023 NFL Draft is Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker. Just a few months ago, Hooker was being mocked in the third round. Now, he has a chance to be a late first-round pick.
But is Hooker someone the Raiders should have on their radar? Or is he someone the team should avoid entirely?
In a recent article by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, he named three players that the Raiders should try to avoid in the first few rounds. That list included Hooker as he’s been mentioned alongside the Raiders for a few weeks now.
Here is a snippet on why Knox believes the Raiders should avoid Hooker in both the first and second rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft:
While snagging a prospect like Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud or Florida’s Anthony Richardson would make sense for Las Vegas, the Raiders should be out on Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, who may not be ready to start for several seasons.
Hooker is coming off a torn ACL, will turn 26 next January and isn’t likely to have a quick transition to the NFL.
Hooker is a bit of a project given the offense that he played in while at Tennessee. Add on the fact that he is an older prospect and is injured and it’s not hard to see why the Raiders might be better off avoiding him early in the draft.
There are teams where Hooker makes some sense, especially at the end of Round 1. But the Raiders aren’t one of them. Expect them to pass on this SEC quarterback with their first two selections.
