Former GM Mocks Hendon Hooker to Hawks at #5

[Chukarhawk]

Love your take, eloquently expressed, pretty much how I see it, just better said than anything I've got.

The draft and projecting college players into potential NFL success is such a crapshoot. There are a couple threads on WRs that express this, with TCU WR Quentin Johnston as a polarizing player. He could become a great, HOF-level NFL player, or a "meh" NFL player, a faster Chris Matthews who can stay on an NFL roster. I am trending towards Johnston being a Pro Bowler near the end of his rookie contract.

I like what I've seen of Hooker and he would be a fit with the Hawks especially with 2 years of incubation-development time under Geno & Drew's tutelage. 2 more years of Geno/Lock then Hooker in his year 3, with 2 more team control years after that, could provide a cheap-QB window for a repeat of 2012-2014 level success. Not a bad gamble.

Hooker is a likeable kid but there is no way we draft him and let him sit for 2 years. HE WOULD BE 27 years old at that point. Nobody is doing that.

 

[Mix]

Hooker or any potential starting QB is a waste in the second round, from a value stand point (love the player). If the team is high on him as a QB it would make so much more sense to trade into the back end of the first and secure that 5th year option or trade back from #20 gain capital and draft him near the end of the 1st. If you are not willing to trade up then I see him as a 3rd rounder at the highest. 5th year options for the QB help keep your rookie contract QB window open 1 more year. If we somehow managed to get Russ in the 1st with the availability of the 5th year option we would of had 1 more solid crack at a deep playoff run on a rookie contract.

To draft Hooker in the 2nd, let him sit maybe up to two years will only give you a short window once he becomes the starter at a very team friendly cap number. I firmly believe in drafting a QB in the 1st for the option if you think he will become a starter within a year. Otherwise you are better off filling other areas of need.

 

[toffee]

Do we need to use #5 on Hooker, would #20, or #37 be sufficient?

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

I've heard a few people compare him to Sam Bradford in college. Is that fair?

 

[HawksNation]

Probably why he’s a former GM

That was my initial thought when reading the article….

No wonder he was fired

 

[Hawknight]

Why draft a QB this draft...Kapernick will still be available

 

[WarHawks]

Don't forget, there are roughly eight teams that need qb's. It wouldn't surprise me at all if teams get antsy and take Hooker sooner rather than later. Hawks taking him at 20 or trading back a bit to take him at 25 wouldn't surprise me in the least. Neither would taking one of the top four qb's at #5. This is our one chance to do so. We won't be in this position next year, or the year after.

 

[olyfan63]

Hooker or any potential starting QB is a waste in the second round, from a value stand point (love the player). If the team is high on him as a QB it would make so much more sense to trade into the back end of the first and secure that 5th year option or trade back from #20 gain capital and draft him near the end of the 1st. If you are not willing to trade up then I see him as a 3rd rounder at the highest. 5th year options for the QB help keep your rookie contract QB window open 1 more year. If we somehow managed to get Russ in the 1st with the availability of the 5th year option we would of had 1 more solid crack at a deep playoff run on a rookie contract.

To draft Hooker in the 2nd, let him sit maybe up to two years will only give you a short window once he becomes the starter at a very team friendly cap number. I firmly believe in drafting a QB in the 1st for the option if you think he will become a starter within a year. Otherwise you are better off filling other areas of need.

Fantastic points, thanks! I had forgotten that the 5th year team option only applies to 1st rounders, and your suggest approach makes SO MUCH sense for the Seahawks. Agreed, a 5th year option could be, say, a $30M a year discount if the QB is balling out by that point, $30M being enough to get 4 or 5 GOOD free agents who turn the team from pretendah to legit contendah. "I coulda been a contendah, instead of a bum, which is what I am"

 

[olyfan63]

Hooker is a likeable kid but there is no way we draft him and let him sit for 2 years. HE WOULD BE 27 years old at that point. Nobody is doing that.

See Mix's 5th year option scenario. I understand your reservations, but ages 27-30 are prime, prime years for a QB, and after that you're simply looking at a 2nd contract. I just don't see the age mattering that much, 2nd contract for 5 years let's say, by that point, we have a pretty good idea of if he'll last another 5 years at peak form, or maybe he's even been traded, beaten out by Drew Lock, for example. Also, Hooker would have less "mileage" on his tires under the sit-a-year-or-two scenario.

With the Hawks re-signing Lock, I'm starting to think they don't take a QB at all in first 2 rounds unless it's Anthony Richardson somewhere in the 1st, or Stroud somehow falls to the Hawks at #5.

 

[WarHawks]

Value flies out the window when it comes to potential franchise qb's, does it not?

 

[hawkfan68]

I don't believe Hooker's age should be a factor. Plenty of QBs have played into their late 30s and mid 40s. Not saying Hooker would but there's also no valid reason he wouldn't. If he's good and so far his results have been good in college ball, then he is worthy of a pick. Just not the #5 pick in the draft.

 

[Ozzy]

There is zero chance they take a guy who will be 26 next year coming off an ACL tear at 5. Richardson is 21 for comparison.

 

[hawkfan68]

There is zero chance they take a guy who will be 26 next year coming off an ACL tear at 5. Richardson is 21 for comparison.

Agreed about #5 pick. However, Hooker's stats are better than Richardson's and it's not even close. The only reason Richardson is even considered there is due to his size. Which IMO is ridiculous. It would be fools gold to choose Richardson in top 5 and I hope the Seahawks don't do it.

 

[Ozzy]

Agreed about #5 pick. However, Hooker's stats are better than Richardson's and it's not even close. The only reason Richardson is even considered there is due to his size. Which IMO is ridiculous. It would be fools gold to choose Richardson in top 5 and I hope the Seahawks don't do it.

But where was Hooker at 21? I think you make a valid point and Richardson is the ultimate wild card who might have more of a chance to miss than hit but for some reason in the right environment I think he's going to be a star.....just a gut feeling. We saw what Pete did with Russ and Geno, Seattle is the one place where AR would have the best chance of exploding I think.

So even though I disagree I understand you're argument and you may very well be right.

 

[WarHawks]

Like McShay said, sit AR for a couple years to let him develop, and maybe just play him on goal line situations and such. Hawks are really the only team that has the luxury of time to develop someone like him.

 

[Hawkinaz]

Fantastic points, thanks! I had forgotten that the 5th year team option only applies to 1st rounders, and your suggest approach makes SO MUCH sense for the Seahawks. Agreed, a 5th year option could be, say, a $30M a year discount if the QB is balling out by that point, $30M being enough to get 4 or 5 GOOD free agents who turn the team from pretendah to legit contendah. "I coulda been a contendah, instead of a bum, which is what I am"

since the inception of the 5th year option in 2011 most of the drafted 1st rd QBs never saw the 5th yr with the average length is 4 yrs with their drafted team. Usually a team has a really good idea if the player is worth keeping. Lamar was the most recent at $23 million

 

[Kinger95]

Is hooker even gonna be able to play his first season or is he gonna miss it with his injury?

He’s only 2 months younger than Stetson Bennett, I’d take hooker in the 2nd if you thought he was a franchise qb buy knowing hes not gonna even see the field till hes 26 is kinda an issue in my opinion

 

[James in PA]

Like McShay said, sit AR for a couple years to let him develop, and maybe just play him on goal line situations and such. Hawks are really the only team that has the luxury of time to develop someone like him.

Th Raiders with Jimmy G are the only other team that makes sense. Can't let them leapfrog us.

 

[Hollandhawk]

I did a draft simulator and got Hooker at #83.
5-Carter
20-Kancey
37-Mazi smith
52-Jack Campbell
83-Hendon Hooker

I'll take it