Raiders 2023 7-round NFL Mock Draft: Las Vegas moves on from Derek Carr
Raiders 2023 7-round NFL Mock Draft: Las Vegas moves on from Derek Carr
38. player. 839. . QB. Volunteers . Hendon Hooker
In our last mock draft we had the Raiders using their first-round pick on a quarterback prospect but this time around we get a chance to snag one in the second round. Hendon Hooker was one of the best quarterbacks in college football in 2022 and was building up an impressive Heisman campaign before suffering an ACL injury in late November.
Despite the injury he was still able to finish 5th in the Heisman voting despite the injury.
Hooker was also impressive in 2021 after transferring from Virginia Tech and has thrown for 6,080 yards, 58 touchdowns, and just five interceptions in 24 games with the Volunteers. He has all of the makings of a top-tier quarterback prospect and may still be a late first-round pick even with the ACL injury.
In this mock draft, we will appreciate our good fortune and snag the 6-4, 218lb QB with the 38th pick.
Some of the concerns around Hooker are the fact that he is a bit older than the other prospects at 24-years-old and his mechanics need some work. Drafting him in the second round would allow the Raiders to roll with either Jarrett Stidham or another veteran quarterback and bring him along slowly.
The staff can coach him up on the intricacies of NFL offenses and improve his mechanics with his time on the sideline. He has all of the physical tools and an NFL ready arm but would need to be coached up to be a long-term answer. The Raiders will be looking to reload after a disappointing season so starting a rookie quarterback may not be the right thing to do anyway.