If it were up to a former NFL general manager, the Seattle Seahawks should be targeting Tennessee Volunteer product Hendon Hooker in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
Mike Tannenbaum of ESPN, who also served before as general manager of the New York Jets, has Hooker slotted at No. 5 overall in his latest 2023 NFL mock draft. That doesn't mean that's actually the direction the Seahawks are looking to take in the first round of the draft, but Tannenbaum believes that Hooker is “under-scouted” and will be perfect as an understudy for Geno Smith.
“The Seahawks recently re-signed Geno Smith, but this is an excellent opportunity to draft and develop Hooker while also letting him rehab the knee, wrote Tannenbaum. “Smith turns 33 this season, and his new contract offers Seattle various outs over the next three seasons.”
Hendon Hooker was a dual-threat monster for the Volunteers in the 2022 college football season, but a late-season injury during a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in November ended his college career and put a big question mark on his NFL Draft stock. That being said, there are still believers in Hooker, just like Tannenbaum.
In his final year in college, Hooker passed for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns against only two interceptions while completing 69.6 percent of his throws. He also rushed for 430 yards and five touchdowns on 104 carries.
The Seahawks inked Geno Smith to a three-year extension deal worth $75 million as a reward for his surprising performance as the team's starter in 2022 and should remain the team's starter in 2023. That said, it's not too early for the Seahawks to think about who their future long-term QB would be.
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