The Saints might have handed out a hefty, multi-year free agent deal to Derek Carr this offseason, but that doesn't mean they are done looking at quarterbacks.
Each team gets to pick 30 prospects to host for visits ahead of the NFL draft and the Saints have tabbed Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker as one of those players, according to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapaport.
Hooker represents one of the more enigmatic prospects in the 2023 draft due to his injury suffered late during an impressive final season at Tennessee, in which he threw for 3,125 yards while completing 69.6% of his passes, along with 27 TDs against just 2 interceptions in his 11 starts. He's been rehabbing over the past several months and has not worked out at the Senior Bowl, NFL Draft combine or Tennessee's pro day, though he was in attendance for all three. Hooker was deep in the Heisman conversation and had the Volunteers in the College Football Playoff conversation prior to his injury.
It's unclear whether Hooker will get in any on-field work during his visit, which is expected to take place on Tuesday.
Hooker has been generating some outside buzz as a first-rounder, though it'd be a surprise to see him land there with his advanced age for a college prospect (25) and injury question marks. The Saints own picks at No. 29, 40 and 71 -- and if they took a swing it'd almost certainly be in the range of a developmental QB with either their second or third-round selection, with Carr locked into the starting job. The Saints are also set at backup QB with Jameis Winston agreeing to return on a 1-year deal, meaning if they were to draft a QB, he'd lock up a valuable roster spot in a season where he'd almost certainly not see the field. The Saints have previously carried three quarterbacks during seasons, but in 2022 that position was manned by two players (Winston and Andy Dalton), with Taysom Hill operating in a non-QB role, but always available to be called on in an emergency.
The NFL Draft begins on April 27 in Kansas City, Missouri. First-round QB prospects include Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson.
