Hendon Hooker moves into the first round of another NFL mock draft

Hendon Hooker’s climb in the NFL Draft projections continued Tuesday when ESPN’s Todd McShay moved the Tennessee quarterback into the first round, picking him to go No. 23 overall to the Minnesota Vikings. 

The two-round mock draft from McShay had four Vols in total going in the first 63 picks, with offensive tackle Darnell Wright at No. 19 to the New England Patriots, wide receiver Jalin Hyatt early in the second round at No. 33 overall to the Houston Texans and then edge rusher Byron Young at No. 61 to the Chicago Bears. 

Wide receiver Cedric Tillman, a popular pick to go in the second round in many mock drafts, was not on McShay’s two-round board on Tuesday. 

McShay did not previously have Hooker projected in the first round. Last week ESPN’s Mike Tannebaum turned heads when he projected Hooker as the No. 5 overall pick to the Seattle Seahawks. 

Todd McShay: Sitting behind Kirk Cousins in Minnesota could be the ‘perfect setup’ for Hendon Hooker

“The Vikings have quietly been putting in some work on this QB class,” McShay wrote in his mock draft update on Tuesday. “Despite the team’s 13-win season, Kirk Cousins was just 23rd in QBR at 49.9. Plus, he’s turning 35 this summer and will be entering the final year of his deal. Sitting behind Cousins for a year to learn the pro game and fully recover from a torn ACL could be the perfect setup for Hooker, who led the nation in QBR last season before the injury (89.5).

“Hooker is accurate to every level of the field but really thrives throwing deep. Some scouts might be wary of drafting a 25-year-old QB, but he has the talent to lead an NFL offense. I’ve talked to folks with a few teams that even have Hooker above Levis on their internal boards. He has interviewed really well this spring, and the tape is phenomenal. Alternatively, Minnesota could try to get another receiver alongside Justin Jefferson, go back to the cornerback well or bring in another big tight end.”

Hooker, who tore his ACL in November, played two seasons at Tennessee, passing for 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He completed 68.8 percent of his 632 pass attempts with the Vols. In 11 games last season, Hooker completed 69.6 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Wright, 6-foot-6, 335-pound senior, was a breakout star on Tennessee’s offensive line last season. He was named First Team All-SEC by the Associated Press, USA Today and SEC Coaches and was a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award. He was twice named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.

“Trent Brown turns 30 this offseason,” McShay wrote for ESPN, “Isaiah Winn is still unsigned, and Riley Reiff isn’t a long-term fix at right tackle. And when your quarterback turns in a league-low 4.1 QBR when pressured, you’d think getting him some more protection would be a priority. So landing Wright at No. 19 after the trade-back works on a lot of levels. 

“Wright allowed just one sack last season, thanks in part to his great balance and 6-5, 333-pound frame. He’d also help spring running back Rhamondre Stevenson as one of the best run-blockers in the class. I considered Boston College receiver Zay Flowers, but while pass-catcher is a need, right tackle is a bigger one.”

Jalin Hyatt a ‘speedy’ find for Houston Texans in the second round

Hyatt, Tennessee’s first Biletnikoff Award winner, led college football and set a new Tennessee single-season record with 15 touchdowns while erupting onto the scene during his junior season. He finished with 1,267 receiving yards, only 31 yards short of matching the Tennessee record held by Robert Meachem, who had 1,298 yards in 2006.

“I hinted that Houston needs more pass-catchers earlier,” McShay wrote, explaining the Hyatt pick, “and it gets lucky that the speedy Hyatt is still on the board at No. 33. He tracks the deep ball extremely well, and he has the explosion to eat up cushion in coverage and fly by defenders. Hyatt averaged 18.9 yards per catch last season en route to 1,267 total receiving yards (fifth in the FBS).”

Young in two seasons at Tennessee had 83 total tackles with 23.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. As a junior in 2021 he broke out with 46 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and an interception in 10 games. He had 34 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks in 12 games last season.

“The Bears had just 20 sacks last season, worst in the NFL, and bringing in Young would get them going in the right direction,” McShay wrote. “He had seven sacks in his final season at Tennessee, and his 36 pressures tied for 22nd in the nation. He quickly re-directs and has an explosive lower body, but he’s still raw when it comes to technique.”