NFL Rumors: Tennessee Quarterback Climbing Draft Boards

The NFL Draft is only weeks away, but draft boards around the league are still in flux, particularly at the game's most important position. Apparently, teams' estimation of Tennessee's Hendon Hooker is growing every day. Appearing on Steve Smith Sr.'s Cut To It, NFL Network's James Palmer reports that many teams view the Volunteers quarterback as the third-best passing prospect in the draft.

Update: "Plenty" of NFL teams have Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker ranked as the 3rd QB prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft.@JamesPalmerTV: "There is a gap between the top two in Bryce Young and CJ Stroud" then Hooker slides between them and Anthony Richardson/Will Levis. pic.twitter.com/ebS82WILAL
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 7, 2023

Hooker won SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 and has prototypical size (6'3", 217 lbs) and mobility (2079 career rushing yards) for the position. He compiled an impressive 6080 passing yards with a stellar 58 to 5 touchdown to interception ratio over 24 appearances with the Vols. Unfortunately for him, he has two major red flags holding back his draft stock: he tore his ACL in November of last year, and he is already 25 years old.

Hooker's meteoric rise now apparently has him only behind Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud on many draft boards. Florida's Anthony Richardson has turned many heads this offseason with his singular athleticism, but teams evidently view Hooker as a more polished product.

Hooker has already been linked with the Tennessee Titans, who pick 11th overall. He also has visits planned with the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Given his advanced age, he would make sense for a team looking to move on from a veteran quarterback in the near future.