As we approach the draft, ESPN’s Matt Miller has reported that the Green Bay Packers are set to meet with an interesting prospect sometime this week. Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker was the Heisman frontrunner before tearing his ACL in November. He lit up the SEC with 3,135 yards through the air, 430 on the ground, 32 total touchdowns, and only two interceptions en route to a 9-2 record that included a 52-49 instant-classic win against Alabama. Now, Green Bay will host him for a top-30 visit, which raises questions given the circumstances.
Backup quarterback is absolutely a need ahead of training camp, one of many. But Hooker is projected to go in the first two rounds. In his report, Miller speculated that Hooker may be trending towards Day 1. Hooker is currently considered the QB5 in this year’s class, heading up the second tier after Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis. But choosing another signal-caller in the first-round would indicate an extreme lack of long-term confidence in Jordan Love. The opportunity cost would also be high because of pressing needs at safety, wide receiver, and tight end that likely require a premium pick to rectify, given the cap situation.
The Packers currently hold the 15th and 45th selections but will likely add another pick or two once they’ve completed the Aaron Rodgers trade. Brian Gutekunst and New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas remain at an impasse on compensation for Rodgers, but it’s highly unlikely it will drag out past the draft. New York’s No. 13-overall pick is not believed to be on the table, but their pair of second-rounders (No. 42 and No. 43 overall) could be headed to Green Bay, giving Gutekunst a lot of ammunition in the range where Hooker is expected to go.
Obviously, a visit does not indicate that the Packers are seriously considering drafting Hooker. Lying has become quite synonymous with draft season, and it’s well known that teams often leak reports and schedule visits just to keep the media and other teams guessing. In this particular case, it’s possible that the Packers could be interested in gaining more information on fellow Tennessee prospect Jalin Hyatt, in whom they have reported interest.
Hooker and Hyatt connected for well over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022, including five in the aforementioned Alabama game. With a receiving room that currently consists only of last year’s rookies Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure, Hyatt could absolutely be a first-round target to add to that room — potentially even allowing Gutekunst to move down from 15 and collect picks in the process.
Hyatt is relatively undersized at 6’0”, 185 lbs., but he runs a 4.40. Green Bay’s interest in a slot is noteworthy considering Gutekunst’s preference for size in receivers. They cut the only significant aberration, 5’9” Amari Rodgers, midway through his second season – perhaps a cautionary tale about the danger of waiting too long and winding up with a receiver without the ideal set of intangibles.
Green Bay’s interest in Hyatt, reported by Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Co., and Chris Olave a year ago, signals their desire to find their Randall Cobb of the future. Green Bay currently has only three receivers and the cap holds them back from adding via the open market. Therefore, it is essential that they hit on whomever they select in the first couple of rounds. Bringing in Hooker, if not solely to determine his fit as a Jordan Love alternative, can help them gauge Hyatt’s character and potential strengths and weaknesses that didn’t jump out on tape, and the extent to which he’d fit into their offensive system.
As good as Hooker was last season, I believe he — or any other QB in his range — would have to be a generational talent to justify veering so far off course when the path to a complete, contending roster remains uphill. In reality, he’s got some solid potential, but nothing Earth-shattering that makes him a can’t-miss prospect. Expending a top 30 visit when they figure to have at least three top 50 picks when the Rodgers trade is set and done does definitely raises eyebrows, though. They could be seriously considering hedging their bet on Love, looking to learn more about Hyatt, just doing their due diligence in case Hooker endures a Malik Willis-esque slide down the board, or a mixture of those.
The jury being out on Love makes it challenging to ascertain the significance of meeting with a top QB, but it’s hard to imagine the Packers won’t at least see what their investment from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic is capable of becoming. If he’s really that unsalvageable, it will only assist in a tank job for his replacement. And I won’t mention Caleb Williams with a whole lot of seriousness since organizations like the Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Rams exist, but 2024 is another strong QB class.
Even if Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay coaching staff aren’t optimistic about Love, 2023, or both, addressing as many major needs as possible at the top of the draft feels like the top priority. Then again, it sure felt that way in 2020, coming off a run to the NFC Championship game.
