Joe Milton: Detroit Lions getting 'a dog' in Hendon Hooker
Joe Milton III knows Hendon Hooker as well as anyone. The two roomed together at Tennessee the last two years, while Hooker starred as the quarterback of the Vols, turning himself into a third-round pick in the NFL Draft.
And Milton knows exactly what the Detroit Lions got when they used the 68th overall pick in last month’s NFL Draft on Hooker, calling his name in the third round.
“A dog,” Milton said Tuesday morning during an appearance on NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football’ in New York. “A guy that wants to work. He’s always willing to learn, he’s always going to help whoever.
“And just a leader, man. He talks at any time. He’s going to let you know what it is and what it ain’t. That’s just him.”
Milton and Hooker battled for the open starting quarterback position in fall camp before the 2021 season. Milton was named the starter but suffered an ankle injury in the second game of the season, a loss to Pitt at Neyland Stadium, opening the door for Hooker to take over.
From there he would pass for 6,080 yards and throw 58 touchdowns, with just five interceptions. Last season Hooker threw for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions, completing 69.6 percent of his passes, in 11 games before suffering a torn ACL in November.
“We knew (Hooker) was coming off the injury,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after Detroit drafted Hooker, “but there was something about him that was appealing. He’s very mature. He looks the part, he’s got a big arm. He’s just, he’s got to learn how to play in the NFL.
“But he’s a pro now, and I like the fact that he was older. We all kind of like the fact that he was older. I think you want your quarterback to be a little bit more mature. They got a lot on their plate.”
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Hooker signed his rookie contract with the Lions on May 12. Spotrac values Hooker’s contract at $5.719 million, including $1.159 million as a signing bonus.
After the draft, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller picked Hooker to the Lions in the third round as his favorite pick in the entire draft.
“The Lions have a real opening for a quarterback of the future behind Jared Goff,” Miller wrote, “and Hooker will have time to heal from his torn ACL and learn behind Goff before any expectations are placed on him. The Tennessee QB came at good value in Round 3.”
Campbell described Hooker’s rookie year as a redshirt scenario as he comes back from the ACL injury and sits behind Lions starter Jared Goff. Hooker said on draft night that his goal in Year 1 is “to be a sponge” in the quarterback room alongside Goff.
“To come in and learn everything, every nuance, how to be a pro,” Hooker said. “Then just admire him. He’s been in the league for a long time and he’s been doing a great job developing every year to get better and better. That’s all you can ask for.
“So I’m definitely going to be picking his brain whenever I can. I’m going to get annoying to him a little bit. But I’m just that type of person. I just want to get in and do my job, especially, and continue to get better day by day.”
