Some around football believe the only thing stopping Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker from being a no-doubt first-round pick in this weekend’s NFL Draft is health. But even that concern should be somewhat alleviated, if his latest medical update is on point.
NFL Draft: Hendon Hooker Medical Update
The condensed version? The ACL that Hooker tore on Nov. 19 and had repaired a month later should not keep him out of games in his rookie season.
Hooker’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, wrote to every NFL team recently, ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon.
ElAttrache’s message?
That Hooker is on track to be fully cleared for football activities by the NFL season’s opening weekend (Sept. 7-11), per ESPN.
MORE: FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator (With Trades)
It’s the best possible outcome of an ugly injury and suggests that Hooker is a fast healer. ACL recovery usually runs nine months to a year, and the surgeries have a high likelihood of success.
“In-game performance [among quarterbacks] following ACL reconstruction was not significantly different from preinjury or from controls,” according to a 2014 study published on the National Library of Medicine’s website.
The ESPN report came just hours after Hooker, the No. 81 player on PFN’s Big Board, showed off progress in his rehab on Twitter.
Hooker shared three video clips of him dropping back and throwing passes at what appears to be Tennessee’s indoor practice field. Hooker wore a black compression sleeve on his left leg, but no brace, in the clips.
“First day of dropping back during this morning’s session,” Hooker wrote. “Feels great to move around again #StackingDays”
Hendon Hooker NFL Draft Outlook
Will Hooker’s improved health improve his draft position?
It certainly couldn’t hurt. But NFL teams surely want their own doctors to examine Hooker on their own before committing a high draft pick to him.
Many had that chance over the last six weeks. Hooker went on a number of top 30 campus visits, traveling to the headquarters of the Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants, among others.
What do all of those teams have in common?
They all have quarterbacks penciled in as 2023 starters.
Landing with one of those clubs would give Hooker — who at age 24 was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 — the opportunity to get the whole way back before even considering appearing in a game.
Hooker, who spent his first three collegiate years at Virginia Tech before transferring to Tennessee in 2021, completed 69.6% of his passes for 3,315 yards, 27 touchdowns, and two interceptions in 11 games as a redshirt senior last fall.