Tag: Maxen Hook

Chiefs scouting report: Toledo Rockets S Maxen Hook

The Kansas City #Chiefs may look to target a player like Toledo #Rockets safety Maxen Hook in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs built one of the youngest secondaries in the NFL, but injuries and expiring contracts in 2025 and 2026 raise concerns. The Chiefs should continue acquiring and developing new talent in their secondary. One of Toledo’s safeties might catch the team’s attention in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Toledo Rockets defensive back Maxen Hook is a fifth-year college veteran and two-time team captain. He lacks elite size but is a respectable 6’1/2″, 207 lbs. with 32 1/8-inch arms. Those are verified measurements from Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy. Hook projects as a fourth-round selection who could bump up a round if he aces the combine testing and interview portions of the pre-draft process.

According to Nagy, Hook ran the 40-yard dash in the mid-4.4s in the spring of 2023, which puts him on par with top 100 2024 NFL Draft prospects Cole Bishop, Javon Bullard, and Tykee Smith. Hook’s speed and range in coverage pop on tape, especially when Toledo asked him to play single-high safety.

Hook is a fluid athlete who excels working in space. He reads the quarterback’s eyes to step down and cut off intermediate throwing lanes. After so many years of high-level play, Hook has mastered fulfilling his assignments in coverage and taking proper angles to the football.

Hook’s athleticism and speed help him carry slot receivers vertically in off-man coverage. He’s more comfortable in zone assignments but has the speed and physicality to battle in close quarters.

Hook is a willing run defender with burst that helps him quickly close on the running back. His sideline-to-sideline range and terrific motor make him a threat to run down the ball carrier from anywhere on the field. He occasionally overruns plays in pursuit. Hook lacks the size and power to separate from blocks at a consistent level.

Hook committed to attending the Senior Bowl in early 2025. The event features three days of practice and concludes with a game between two teams comprised of the draft’s top prospects. Former Toledo star cornerback and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Quinyon Mitchell attended the event last winter.

2025 draft prospects make Ohio-Toledo worth watching for Vikings fans

On Wednesday night, Toledo faces the Ohio Bobcats and their defense has two players who could be nice fits for the Vikings.

The 2025 NFL Draft is going to be critical for the Minnesota Vikings’ long-term success. They don’t have many picks in the draft, which means each one needs to be spent on a player who could make a difference in some form or fashion.

On Wednesday night, Toledo faces the Ohio Bobcats and their defense has two players who could be nice fits for the Vikings.

On their defensive line, they have Darius Alexander, a Senior and difference-maker up front. He does a good job of using leverage to get into the backfield and has the instincts to be a reliable run stuffer. He has 27 tackles, six tackles for a loss, and two and a half sacks.

In secondary school, they have Maxen Hook, a playmaking safety for their defense. Hook has set a career-high in tackles in just ten games, with 87 so far, while also adding two tackles for a loss and two forced turnovers.

Both won’t be very high draft picks, but they could be fun pieces drafted on day three of the draft with whom Brian Flores uses strategically.