Quarterback – Tennessee
6’3” 217 lbs
3rd Round – 5th pick (68th Overall) – Detroit Lions
What is Hendon Hooker’s 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook? Most pre-draft conversations were about the top four quarterbacks: Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson. However, Hooker, the former Tennessee Volteeers signal caller belonged in that conversation.
Hooker was in the first-round mix last year before he tore his ACL. The former Volunteer star had a career year in 2022. He had 3,135 passing yards and 27 touchdowns in 11 games last season. Meanwhile, Hooker had only two interceptions.
After starting his career at Virginia Tech, Hooker transferred to Tennessee before the start of the 2021 season. The former Volunteer star was outstanding over the past two years. He had 6,080 passing yards, 58 touchdowns, and only five interceptions in 24 career games at Tennessee.
The former Volunteer also had a role in the run game, totaling 1,046 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns over the past two years. Meanwhile, Hooker finished top three in the SEC in passing touchdowns in 2021 and 2022. He also finished fourth in the conference with 3,135 passing yards last season.
Fantasy Football Outlook
Many in the media swore Hooker would be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, only three quarterbacks were drafted in the first round, while Levis was an early second-round pick. Meanwhile, the former Volunteer star slid in the third round, where the Detroit Lions picked him 68th overall.
The Lions have Jared Goff on the roster. While some don’t like the Detroit quarterback, he had a productive 2022 season. Goff completed 65.1% of his passes for 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns last year. The team showed confidence in the veteran by not trading up for one of the top-four quarterbacks. However, the Lions couldn’t pass up the former Tennessee star in the third round.
Hooker won’t see the field in 2023. The rookie has to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in college last year. Furthermore, the former Volunteer will need Goff to severely regress or suffer an injury to get on the field. However, Hooker will be in a position to succeed if he ends up playing as a rookie.
Detroit has a strong supporting cast. Their offensive line is one of the best in the NFL. Meanwhile, the team has an excellent running back unit led by David Montgomery and their first-round pick, Jahmyr Gibbs. More importantly, Amon-Ra St. Brown is an elite slot receiver.
Dynasty Outlook
Despite Goff playing seven years in the NFL, the veteran is only three years older than the rookie quarterback. Yet, there is a chance Hooker is Goff’s replacement in 2024. The veteran will have one year left on his contract after this season. However, the Lions can release Goff next offseason and save $32 million in salary cap space.
While that seems like a no-brainer move for Detroit, that doesn’t necessarily mean Hooker will be the quarterback to replace Goff. As a third-round pick, the former Volunteer isn’t guaranteed anything. Remember, the Tennessee Titans spent a third-round pick on Malik Willis last year. Yet, they were aggressive in trading up for Levis on Friday night.
Therefore, Hooker could find himself never having a chance to earn a long-term starting role in Detroit. However, the former Volunteer has some talent and should get picked in all rookie drafts. He is worth a mid-to-late second-round pick in superflex leagues and a fourth-round pick in 1QB leagues.
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