Scouting the NFL 2023 Draft Prospects

[seminoles1]

31 minutes ago, KingTitan said:

Watching this Hendon Hooker thing with the Mannings. 

I'm trying to keep myself from wanting to draft him at 11. But man he is impressive. 

Edit: I think I really want Hendon. I don't care about age. If he plays as long as Tanny that's 10 years at least. That's a pretty nice career. 

Just not at #11. I'm coming around as well on him, but #11 is too high IMO. 

[-Hope-]

26 minutes ago, seminoles1 said:

Just not at #11. I'm coming around as well on him, but #11 is too high IMO. 

i just don't get it, man.

okay arm. okay athleticism. okay everything. *and* his college passing heatmap looks exactly like malik willis's because the guy played in a pop gun offense in which he never even had to think about throwing over the middle of the field. what on earth am i supposed to get excited about here?

Edited April 11, 2023 by -Hope-

[KingTitan]

54 minutes ago, seminoles1 said:

Just not at #11. I'm coming around as well on him, but #11 is too high IMO. 

Truthfully I don't even care anymore. 

They say the QB draft is different from tbt regular draft. 

If it all test well with the knee then he will go top 15 most likely if we read the tea leaves. 

Top 20. 

If they can do it and trade back all good. But if they take him at 11 I won't be mad. 

[Chocolateman78]

I am too am in on hooker at 11. One thing I like is he’s played a lot. I think that matters. I remember Daniel Jeremiah once speaking about how teams valued experience at the QB position. I just think some nuance of the position has to be honed with live reps and I think it’s tougher to get those reps at the pro level where jobs and playoff births are on the line.

Side note I don’t even believe the whole ‘draft a QB and redshirt him’ plan is even a viable strategy anymore. The only way to possibly do it is to carry three active QBs which most teams don’t do. Otherwise, with a 17+ game season, there’s no way to shelter a QB when he’s the back up and one hit away from having to play when he’s not ready (see Malik Willis) it’s one of the reasons I’m weary of Anthony Richardson. Whoever gets him has to have him ready to play year one, because injury or poor performance will likely force the hand sooner then later.

Edited April 11, 2023 by Chocolateman78

[TitanSlim]

Man, I want to see it with Hooker but I don’t. I think he could be a high quality backup who, in the right system and surrounded by the right talent, could be a decent starter. Like a Geno Smith.

But Hooker at 11??? Nah, I’m good on that.

[615finest]

 

[615finest]

 

[KingTitan]

7 hours ago, TitanSlim said:

Man, I want to see it with Hooker but I don’t. I think he could be a high quality backup who, in the right system and surrounded by the right talent, could be a decent starter. Like a Geno Smith.

But Hooker at 11??? Nah, I’m good on that.

He has produced in two systems. When he was at Virigina Tech he put up 13 TDs and 2 Ints in limited duty one year. 

That gives me a lot more comfort to know he can do it outside of the UT offensive system. 

The age is whatever to me. So many of these players are older since they have covid the year. 
So in the injury. I'm assuming they are keeping Tannehill and if so, then he would be a backup for most the year until likely late. 

I get it. Something does not sit right at times, but I think it's more me trying to find something wrong. 
He produced in the SEC. Can run, can throw, is very smart, a leader and is very capable of doing it. 

I rather not take him #11 but if push comes to shove I will. 

 

[titans0021]

A 25-year-old rookie from a pure college offense with no elite traits coming off of an ACL tear is just a tough sell.

[Daniel]

13 hours ago, -Hope- said:

i just don't get it, man.

okay arm. okay athleticism. okay everything. *and* his college passing heatmap looks exactly like malik willis's because the guy played in a pop gun offense in which he never even had to think about throwing over the middle of the field. what on earth am i supposed to get excited about here?

Same.  I will homer UT players all day, but Hooker is probably about as close to a finished product as he's gonna be.  I think you guys are just too distracted by the idea of a shiny new QB.  Malik Willis was a shiny new QB last year.

An elite talent is almost certainly gonna be available at 11.  Give me that over an extremely flawed QB.

1. Paris Johnson
2. Broderick Jones
3. Jaxson Smith-Njigba

[KingTitan]

42 minutes ago, titans0021 said:

A 25-year-old rookie from a pure college offense with no elite traits coming off of an ACL tear is just a tough sell.

I hear ya. I just am sold on his traits/work ethic combo. 

I heard a someone break it down how all the college offenses are pretty simple. The UT offense is a variation of the USC/Oklahoma offense. 

Just watching him interact and seeing behind the scenes sold me. 
I'm wanting a QB that can really break things down.

I'm banking on the idea that he won't need the same development that Richardson and Levis will need. 
While Richardson is young now, he might not be ready to play at a high level until he is the same age. 

I'm really ok with any of those now 5 QBs. 
But Hooker has really moved up the list for me. 

I'm all about how hard they will work and he has NFL ability. I'm not sure what elite trait is needed in your eyes, but he has shown to me to be a high level NFL Prospect. 

Good arm. Good speed, Excellent IQ. 

[KingTitan]

28 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Same.  I will homer UT players all day, but Hooker is probably about as close to a finished product as he's gonna be.  I think you guys are just too distracted by the idea of a shiny new QB.  Malik Willis was a shiny new QB last year.

An elite talent is almost certainly gonna be available at 11.  Give me that over an extremely flawed QB.

1. Paris Johnson
2. Broderick Jones
3. Jaxson Smith-Njigba

I'm not a UT fan but I really am in love with him as a player/person. 

I'm not as worried about the offense he played in. Just gonna throw that out. I'm banking on the player's ability to learn and adjust. 
Went back and looked at his time at Virigina Tech and he was doing just fine there too, in a whole other system. 

His football IQ appears to be very high so he can adjust to any scheme.  If he ends up being just good, then in 4 years you take someone else to compete or take the spot. That's my mindset. 

If he can be a good NFL QB and be cheap, we can continue to build up the roster until we find a great one. 
I think holding our breath until we find a GREAT one will continue to leave us waddling in the middle. 

Build a great roster around a cheap QB and we can hopefully continue be in the mix and maybe have another run similar to the AFC run.

That is how I'd approach it  I'm standing on the table for Hooker, but I'd take him and be very happy. 

[titans0021]

16 minutes ago, KingTitan said:

I hear ya. I just am sold on his traits/work ethic combo. 

I heard a someone break it down how all the college offenses are pretty simple. The UT offense is a variation of the USC/Oklahoma offense. 

Just watching him interact and seeing behind the scenes sold me. 
I'm wanting a QB that can really break things down.

I'm banking on the idea that he won't need the same development that Richardson and Levis will need. 
While Richardson is young now, he might not be ready to play at a high level until he is the same age. 

I'm really ok with any of those now 5 QBs. 
But Hooker has really moved up the list for me. 

I'm all about how hard they will work and he has NFL ability. I'm not sure what elite trait is needed in your eyes, but he has shown to me to be a high level NFL Prospect. 

Good arm. Good speed, Excellent IQ. 

I do think most college offenses are drifting more and more to simple reads and throws, but as @-Hope-said, it’s pretty extreme with Hooker. I’m not saying he’s as raw as Willis, but it’s almost impossible to evaluate him because he was asked to make those same kind of one-read throes. It’s just really generous to give extreme projection to a guy that’s only a year younger than Lamar Jackson. I saw a tweet the other day that Hooker is currently older than Richardson will be at the end of his rookie contract lol.

I just can’t be sold on primarily work ethic and personality traits again. We played the game with Mariota and Locker. They were such nice, friendly guys that worked hard and would surely show serious growth year over year.

He has a fine arm, fine athleticism. We have no idea about his on field IQ, he simply hasn’t had to make reads. 

I just look at him and see a Tannehill-level ceiling. The comps I’ve read are Desmond Ridder and Geno Smith.  Hasn’t the entire thing the last two offseasons been that we need the guy at QB? That Tannehill isn’t good enough to win a SB?

 

[KingTitan]

20 minutes ago, titans0021 said:

I do think most college offenses are drifting more and more to simple reads and throws, but as @-Hope-said, it’s pretty extreme with Hooker. I’m not saying he’s as raw as Willis, but it’s almost impossible to evaluate him because he was asked to make those same kind of one-read throes. It’s just really generous to give extreme projection to a guy that’s only a year younger than Lamar Jackson. I saw a tweet the other day that Hooker is currently older than Richardson will be at the end of his rookie contract lol.

I just can’t be sold on primarily work ethic and personality traits again. We played the game with Mariota and Locker. They were such nice, friendly guys that worked hard and would surely show serious growth year over year.

He has a fine arm, fine athleticism. We have no idea about his on field IQ, he simply hasn’t had to make reads. 

I just look at him and see a Tannehill-level ceiling. The comps I’ve read are Desmond Ridder and Geno Smith.  Hasn’t the entire thing the last two offseasons been that we need the guy at QB? That Tannehill isn’t good enough to win a SB?

 

I just remember people saying the reason someone like Herbert or Mahomes fell was because they scouted the offense rather than the player. 

Hooker doesn't have the arms of those two players, but the lesson still remains to me. I think more and more it is impossible to scout a player based on the offense they played in.  
Stats and numbers are almost a given in most systems if you have a decent QB.  
Scouting the player is why Hooker is viewed as a better prospect than say Jake Haener or Clayton Tune. 

The biggest difference is again the player. Not so much the person when talking about Marcus and Locker. Locker didn't have the skills to match the person. 
Marcus didn't have the health and skills to match the person either. 

From what I've seen and read, Hooker has the Football IQ and the skills to match the personality. I see the skills so that is what sells me. 
If Richardson had the same football IQ to match his skills, I'd take him #1. I just haven't seen it, maybe the team has through their interviews. 

I personally am good with him. I'm willing to trade the cheap contract for a younger version of Tannehill or Geno. if that is as good as he gets so be it. Cheaper contracts and ability to keep building while getting steady play from the QB is worth it to me. 

I'd welcome him. 

[KingTitan]

Also let me clarify some.

I had a lot of apprehension on even entertaining him as a pick. Because of the age. The offense. The knee.

But what sold me last night was seeing him being an outspoken leader, teaching others, calming teammates. It was real cool to see. 
Combine that with the Mike Martz Video of a former NFL OC, QB Coach, Head coach known for putting together some dynamic offenses speak so highly about him was the sealer. 

I'm not trading up for him. I might not take him at 11. But if we did do either, i would just trust they saw enough to know he can make the transition without a problem. 

I love him as a QB. 

I like Levis.
I'm intrigued by Richardson
 
Of course I'd take Young and Stroud without question.