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Detroit Lions Draft Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker 68th Overall

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Detroit Lions Draft Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker 68th Overall

The Detroit Lions stopped Hendon Hooker's freefall, taking the quarterback 68th overall in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft

Prior to the start of the draft, the NFL Draft betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook had Hooker at -145 to be a first-round pick. That didn't pan out, but what are the Lions getting in the former Vols' signal-caller?

Hendon Hooker's NFL Draft Profile

Hooker was one of the more polarizing prospects in this class, especially among quarterbacks. The on-field production was there, but Hooker is already 25 years old and is coming off an ACL injury.

In terms of stats, he was second in the nation last year in ESPN's QBR and finished with a 58-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his final two seasons.

He blowtorched Alabama for 385 passing yards and 5 touchdowns last fall -- adding 56 yards as a runner -- in one of the more memorable quarterback performances of the 2022 campaign.

Among quarterbacks in this year's class, Hooker ranks third in production score and second in overall score, per NFL Next Gen Stats prospect model.

Hendon Hooker's Top Comparables

According to Brandon Gdula's NFL prospect database -- which accounts for athleticism, production, size, draft capital, age, and more historically important variables -- here are Hooker's top five comparable players.

  1. Bryce Petty - 86.9%
  2. Matt Corral - 83.8%
  3. Clayton Tune - 83.6%
  4. Will Grier - 83.1%
  5. Malik Cunningham - 81.0%

Hendon Hooker in Detroit

The Lions had one of the league's premier offenses in 2022, ranking fourth in adjusted Net Expected Points per play, according to numberFire's expected points model. They've now gone out and added a quarterback, tight end and running back with three of their first five selections of this draft.

Jared Goff ranked fifth among all passers last season in adjusted yards per attempt and will likely have a long leash on the starting job in the Motor City.

With that said, Goff has just two more years left on his contract and can be cut after 2023 with just a $5-million dead-cap charge, per Spotrac. If Goff struggles this coming year, Hooker could wind up getting a real shot to take over in 2024.

Detroit Lions 2023 Outlook

Things are looking up for Detroit.

The Lions' regular season win total number is set at 9.5 with -122 odds on the over, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds. They're +130 favorites in the NFC North and sport the fourth-best odds (+900) to win the NFC.


The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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