Lions GM Explains Decision to Draft Hendon Hooker in Third Round

Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft was full of big moves by the Detroit Lions. Despite making another trade in the second round, the most notable selection was made in the third, as Detroit scooped up Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.

The decision to draft the signal-caller has certainly stirred up some conversation. Lions GM Brad Holmes explained his thoughts on the selection late Friday night.

Though Hooker is coming off of a serious ACL tear, Holmes doesn't appear worried at all about the QB's recovery. Detroit seems perfectly content with allowing Hooker as much time as he needs to return to 100%.

"So, he just has to get healthy. I believe we have the right situation for him, where he can just sit back, develop, get healthy. We're excited about his upside."

- Lions GM Brad Holmes

It's hard to argue with Holmes' thought process here. The team already has an established veteran starter in Jared Goff, who is still expected to lead this squad in 2023. Hooker can then spend his rookie year focusing on his rehab and soaking up as much knowledge as possible from the three-time Pro Bowler.

With Goff's contract featuring only a small dead cap hit in 2024 if he's cut, the succession plan appears clear here, assuming Hooker's recovery goes according to plan. If the Tennessee product can return to how he was playing pre-injury, this selection could turn out to be a steal.

Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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