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Best bets for team to draft Hendon Hooker in the 2023 NFL Draft

We break down which bets we like for the team to draft QB Hendon Hooker.

By Pete Hernandez
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker during Tennessee Football Pro Day at the Anderson Training Facility in Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, March 30, 2023. Syndication The Knoxville News Sentinel Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker looked like the Heisman favorite in the 2022 college football season before an ACL injury ended his senior season prematurely.

Now, the 25-year-old enters the 2023 NFL Draft as arguably one of the bigger question marks for teams, as his intangibles speak for themselves but his injury history and age could draw hesitation.

Which team will be the first to call his name on draft night? We run down the current favorites to add the Tennessee signal-caller to their roster.

Team odds

DraftKings Sportsbook has listed every team’s odds to draft Hooker. Here are the top five:

*Odds as of Friday, April 21

Best bets

The Vikings are heavy favorites to take Hooker in the draft and as the order currently stands, they hold the 23rd overall pick in the first round. Given that Hooker is coming off a significant knee injury the first round may be a bit too high for Minnesota to draft him. However, you can’t argue that the situation is well-suited for him. The Vikings boast an incredible talent in wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and with 35-year-old Kirk Cousins becoming a free agent after the 2023 season it could allow Hooker to rehab and develop in year one.

The Seahawks and Titans also make sense for similar reasons in that their current QB situations, while not dire, are by no means long-term solutions. Even after the incredible season he had in 2022, Geno Smith is 32 years old while Ryan Tannehill is 34 years old and slowly becoming injury prone.

The Lions and Patriots could come down to whether or not their franchises are ready to pull the plug on Jared Goff (28) and Mac Jones (24) sooner rather than later. It should also be key to note that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Washington Commanders are all listed at +1400, and could very move up in the draft should they have their sights set on Hooker.

Best bet: Vikings

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