NFL Draft rumors: Hendon Hooker injury update could push stock even higher

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker’s stock may have risen even further with this positive injury update a day before the 2023 NFL Draft.

The 2023 NFL Draft class will be headlined by the quarterback prospects. The Carolina Panthers are set to select first overall after trading up with the Chicago Bears, with Alabama’s Bryce Young favored to be the pick. From there, it’s fair game as to where the other quarterback prospects will go in the first round. One signal caller may have seen his stock increase with some great news he received.

On Wednesday, the day before the NFL Draft, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Dr. Neal ElAttrache sent a letter to teams to inform them that Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is expected to be fully cleared for the first weekend of the 2023 season after tearing his ACL back on Nov. 19.

This news comes after Hooker posted videos of himself performing drop-back passes in training sessions.

Hendon Hooker expected to be fully cleared from knee injury by start of 2023 NFL season

This is certainly great news for Hooker’s stock one night ahead of the NFL Draft.

Tennessee had their best season in quite some time this past season where they were actually ranked the top team in the nation in the first College Football Playoff rankings. That is all thanks to the play of Hooker, who was a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. He made plays with his arm and his legs in the tough SEC. Unfortunately, Hooker tore his ACL in a mid-November game against South Carolina.

Hooker’s NFL Draft stock was rising this past season, and with a knee injury, that hindered his chances of being a first-round pick. But, as the NFL Draft approached closer, his odds of being selected in the first-round have increased. He has met with teams such as the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One team that has been linked to Hooker heavily are the Minnesota Vikings, who hold the No. 23 overall pick.

There’s a strong chance that Hooker’s name gets called in Kansas City, the site of the 2023 NFL Draft. Now the question that remains is — who will select him?