Josh Heupel shares NFL Draft advice to Hendon Hooker

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel is sending a quality group of players to the 2023 NFL draft following their successful 2022 season. Arguably one of the biggest names on the list of players from Tennessee headed to the NFL is none other than quarterback Hendon Hooker.

Hooker has been sidelined for much of the offseason events leading up to the draft after suffering an ACL injury late in the season. And that has his stock for the draft in question. NFL experts have evaluated every bit of his game and have found a few things to be critical of — his injury and age. Hearing all of the negative press around your name could be stressful for anyone, which is why Heupel shared a few words of advice to not only Hooker but all of his Volunteer players looking to make the leap to the next level.

“The draft process, for everybody, as soon as you’re declared, is them trying to find a reason not to draft you,” said Heupel. “And prognosticators are going to build you up and bring you back down to earth at the same time. At the end of the day, you can only control what you can control. Enjoy the process; doesn’t matter who, when, where, and you’re in the NFL, got a chance to live it out. So, on the back half of this process, when those guys were done with the pro day I told them all, enjoy it from here until draft day. It’s one of the things that if I look back, I would have tried to enjoy the process more. I’m really excited for these guys.”

Kiper has Hooker falling into the second round

Hooker is arguably one of the more unique prospects in the 2023 draft. Before his ACL injury, he was arguably the front-runner for the Heisman trophy award and possibly the best quarterback in college football at the time. Which is why some have him projected oh as a first-round pick. But ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him slotted as a second-rounder in his and Todd McShay’s recent mock draft special.

“You’re in round two of the draft. Hendon Hooker slides down that far. You were able to address the defensive side of the ball with Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith,” said Kiper. “They got the inside-dominating defensive tackle and got the outside pass rusher. And now you get a quarterback who could be the air apparent to Geno Smith. Learn behind Geno coming off a great year. Hendon Hooker is coming off an ACL in a college offense, a quarterback-friendly collegiate offense with great players around him. Hendon Hooker shined, but we talked about Joe Milton did as well when Hooker was hurt. So, for me, Hendon Hooker belongs more in round two. I have a late second-round grade on him. At that point in the draft, for the Seattle Seahawks, hey, it’s worth a roll of the dice.”