It's safe to say that NY Giants fans were hit with some surprising news on Tuesday morning, as it was reported by Mike Garafolo that Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is meeting with the NY Giants on Wednesday for a pre-draft, Top 30-visit. Oh, really?
This move seems odd for a couple of reasons, most importantly, the fact that the Giants justsigned Daniel Jones to a massive extension, so it doesn't make much sense on paper for New York to be meeting with a potential first-round QB.
Regardless, we're sure Joe Schoen has a bigger plan in mind with this meeting, whether it's to scare a team into trading back into the first, or to see if Hooker falls to being a potential Day 2 pick. It will be interesting to see what happens here.
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker is visiting the #Giants tomorrow, sources say. Hooker’s busy pre-draft tour continues, as teams are gathering as much information on him and his recovery as they can.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 18, 2023
NY Giants set up surprise meeting with potential first-round QB Hendon Hooker
Hooker is a solid prospect, don't get us wrong. However, he is not without his flaws, and drafting him in the first round could be a costly mistake if a team goes in that direction. Despite this, the odds of Hooker going in the first round period, let alone to the Giants, are slim.
What makes things even more interesting is the fact that this is not Schoen's first encounter with Hooker. Not only did the two meet during the NFL Combine, but Schoen was also in attendance at one of Hooker's games this past season.
Second time the #Giants have met with Hooker in the pre-draft process if I'm not mistaken but w/ one of their top-30 visits. I'm surprised they're using a top-30 on Hooker only bc I feel like they have a lot of info already, no? Joe Schoen was seen in attendance at his game. https://t.co/tF1vzGXOZ4
— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) April 18, 2023
Perhaps Schoen plans to select Hooker as insurance in the third or fourth round. However, if he is selected any higher, it will likely be a wasted pick, as the Giants simply have too many concerns on their roster to waste a high selection on a QB coming off an ACL tear.
Hooker completed 69.2 percent of his passes last season at Tennessee for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and two interceptions. While on paper these numbers are pretty incredible, watching his tape shows some glaring flaws.
We may not know what Schoen's plan is with Hooker, however, we have confidence that he will make the correct decision with him going forward. Hooker has been linked with multiple teams in the first round, most recently the Vikings. He's got a bright future, but we'd be shocked if that future is with the Giants.
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