The public perception of the 2023 NFL Draft’s quarterback class has been a roller coaster ride. Before the season, the buzz was that this would be the strongest class we saw in a long time. Then as the season progressed, the nitpicking ensued: Is Bryce Young too small? Is C.J. Stroud a playmaker? Is Anthony Richardson too much of a project? Now, there is speculation that four quarterbacks could go within the top 10 picks and that even Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker might go in the first round.

“You want to hear what teams think of Hendon Hooker?” NFL Network reporter James Palmer said on Steve Smith’s Cut to It podcast. “There are plenty of teams that have him above the bottom two that you mentioned (Richardson and Will Levis). There are plenty of teams that have him third on their list, right below those top two in Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud.”

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler considers Hooker QB5 in this class and the No. 49 overall prospect in his top 100 rankings. He gives him a second-round grade.

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There is a lot to like about Hooker’s film. He has a strong arm, he’s accurate, he can rip away from tackles in the pocket and make plays with his legs, and his stats pop off the page. In his two seasons at Tennessee, he threw 58 touchdown passes to only five interceptions, ran for another 10 touchdowns and completed nearly 70 percent of his passes. Last season, he led a major upset against Alabama, throwing for five touchdowns in that game. With traits and numbers like that, why isn’t he a consensus first-round quarterback?

There are a few reasons. First, he’s 25 years old. To put that in perspective, he’s only a year younger than Lamar Jackson, who has played in the league for five seasons. Second, Hooker is coming off a torn ACL in his left knee, which has sidelined him for most of the pre-draft process. Third, the offense Hooker played in at Tennessee doesn’t translate to what he’ll be asked to do in the NFL, and it might have ingrained some bad habits in him.

In short, Hooker has intriguing traits and production, but he’ll be a very old draft pick coming off a major injury with a notable developmental curve.