Is drafting Hendon Hooker in the first round a possibility for the Colts?

Despite not being discussed with the top quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft class, could the Indianapolis Colts select Hendon Hooker in the first round?

So far throughout this draft season, the main quarterbacks being discussed are Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis. However, it’s somewhat of a polarizing class. Some experts think that those four quarterbacks could be off the board in the first five picks, and others think two will be the first two names called but the other two will slide down the board.

One of the consensus beliefs was that Tennessee quarterback, Hendon Hooker, would have to wait until at least day two to get his name called. That was the case until Mike Tannenbaum, in a recent mock draft for ESPN, predicted that the Seattle Seahawks would select Hooker with the fifth-overall pick.

Although Tannenbaum had the Indianapolis Colts selecting Will Levis just a spot earlier at No. 4, it’s fair to ask, if Hendon Hooker is still being viewed as a first-round quarterback by some, could he be an option for the Colts?

Could the Colts draft Hendon Hooker?

Tannenbaum argues that Hooker is being “under-scouted” because of the ACL injury that he suffered this past college season, but Tannenbaum believes he’s “a potential franchise quarterback and someone who can lead an offense.” Tannenbaum may have a point. Prior to the ACL injury, Hendon Hooker was playing his way towards a Heisman and a first-round selection.

Now, his stock has obviously dropped. The injury, combined with the fact that Hooker is an older prospect at 25, and the offense that he played in at Tennessee, creates a lot of hesitation for teams who may be interested in taking him early. Tannenbaum explains that the Seahawks make sense because they just re-signed Geno Smith, so Hooker will be able to take time healing and developing.

There’s also a belief that Will Levis and Anthony Richardson, the quarterbacks that Indy will likely choose from, will have to sit for at least a year as well. If that’s the case, that’s means the Colts should be willing to draft Hooker also, if they believe he’s a better prospect than Levis and Richardson. But does that mean that they select him at No. 4?

That seems a bit unlikely. Even though Mike Tannenbaum is predicting the opposite, Hooker will probably slide in the draft. If the Colts want him, it’s more likely that they’ll select someone else at No. 4 and get Hooker at the top of the second round. It would be a shock if Indianapolis drafted Hendon Hooker at No. 4.

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