The Detroit Lions had themselves an interesting 2023 NFL Draft. Among the more eye-opening picks was the selection of quarterback Hendon Hooker in the third round.

Hooker is recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in the middle of his final collegiate season. As a result, the Tennessee product is essentially taking a redshirt year in 2023.

While he won't play, it appears that Hooker is the man who will succeed Jared Goff under center in the Motor City. It just isn't clear exactly when Hooker becomes the top guy for the Lions.

In any event, Hooker is doing everything he can to prepare himself for life in the NFL. The Lions rookie is leaning on Goff this offseason. And Hooker heaped praise on the Lions starter, who he called an “amazing quarterback” on Friday.

“Just continuing to learn from him and watch him, watching his footwork, watching how he directs traffic, when he’s in the huddle, just taking command of the total offense,” Hooker told NFL.com. It’s amazing to see him operate, and one day I hope to be on that level and operate as efficient as he does.”

The Lions are gearing up for a run at the NFC North in 2023. Detroit had a rough start to the 2022 season but went 8-2 down the stretch to finish 9-8. It marked their first winning season since 2017.

The Lions addressed their secondary, adding pieces such as Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Cam Sutton. Detroit also added running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs in an effort to further improve an already impressive run game.

Detroit's selection of Hooker brought a ton of risk for the team now and for the future. Whether the gamble pays off for the Lions remains to be seen as Hooker's career plays out.