One of the knocks on Hendon Hooker is his age. Dan Campbell and the Lions view it as an asset.
The Tennessee quarterback turned 25 in January and might not take a snap in the NFL until he's 26 as he recovers from a torn ACL, but that didn't stop the Lions from drafting him in the third round.
"We knew he was coming off the injury, but there was something about him that was appealing," Campbell said this week on the Green Light podcast. "He’s very mature, he looks the part, he’s got a big arm. He’s gotta learn how to play in the NFL, but he’s a pro now. And I like the fact that he’s older. We all kind of like the fact that he's older. I think you want your quarterback to be a little bit more mature. They got a lot on their plate."
The Lions took a swing on Hooker because they think he can deepen their quarterback room behind Jared Goff and, if he fulfills his potential, eventually become a starter. He threw 58 touchdowns to five interceptions the last two seasons at Tennessee. He also ran for over 1,000 yards.
Lions GM Brad Holmes had kept Goff abreast of their plans at quarterback in the lead-up to the draft and Campbell said that "Goff is going to handle (the addition of Hooker) well."
Related
"He knew, Brad had called him and he’s great. He’ll help this guy just learn and grow. Really, this a redshirt year for him. He’s gotta get this leg right and then he’ll learn under Jared and then let’s see what happens. If he can eventually become your No. 2 or maybe down the road, later on, it’s more than that, but it’s going to be a long time," Campbell said.
Either way, the Lions were happy to draft Hooker when they did, 68th overall.
"To be able to get him where we did, we traded back twice and we were still able to acquire him, we felt like everything played out just the right way for us," said Campbell.
Listen live to 97.1 The Ticket via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker