Effectively that’s one thing: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the New Orleans Saints are flying in Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker for an official go to on Tuesday, making him one of many 30 prospects within the 2023 NFL draft that the Saints are allowed to host for personal conferences on the staff facility in Metairie.
You’d suppose the Saints wouldn’t be concerned about drafting one other quarterback extremely after signing Derek Carr to an enormous contract in free company, however they designed that contract with an exit ramp simply two years into the four-year deal. If Carr doesn’t meet expectations, it might be worthwhile to have an skilled backup quarterback able to go within the close to future.
Hooker is among the most prolific passers on this draft class, even when he’s going to want a while to adapt to NFL requirements after operating a timing-and-spacing based mostly offense that took benefit of some quirks to the faculty sport. He’s additionally an ready menace to make performs on the bottom along with his legs.
However there are some warts on his scouting report. For one factor, Hooker is coming off a season-ending ACL damage, although he’s stated he expects to take part in coaching camp wherever he’s drafted. For an additional, he’s one of many older prospects on this 12 months’s rookie class, and if he doesn’t play till 2025, he received’t see significant snaps till he’s 28 years previous.
Nobody cares about that if he performs at a excessive stage for a decade as soon as he’s within the lineup, however it might be actually robust to justify passing on gamers who might assist the Saints proper now within the prime two or three rounds. We’ll see the place he finally ends up on draft day.