Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker had a Top 30 visit with the Houston Texans, and will travel to the Giants, Titans, Buccaneers, and Colts in the coming weeks, per source.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 11, 2023
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is scheduled to visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a Top 30 visit among other teams, according to The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler:
Each year, NFL teams are allowed to host up to 30 draft prospects at their facilities for meetings. While not a direct indication that a team is going to draft a prospect, the limited quantity of visits does suggest at least some interest.
Hooker was one of the best quarterbacks in college football last year, particularly passing deep. He led all quarterbacks (minimum 50 percent of snaps) in yards per attempt (9.5) and finished fourth in average depth of target (11.7) while also averaging a turnover worthy play on just 1.1% of his dropbacks per Pro Football Focus.
The Bucs have only one quarterback on the roster, former 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask. With little cap space, the Bucs are unlikely to bring in a pricey veteran passer and could be looking for some competition for Trask.
Hooker is likely to slip to the mid-rounds due to his age (25) and the fact he is recovering from an ACL tear that he suffered in November. Tampa has numerous roster holes to fill, including left tackle and across the defense. Drafting Hooker on Day 2 of the NFL draft could upgrade the quarterback room without unduly impacting the Bucs’ other needs.