Name: Hendon Hooker

Position: Quarterback

School: Tennessee

Ht/Wt: 6-3, 217

40-yard dash: Did not run

Bench: Did not bench

Vertical: Did not jump

Broad: Did not jump

3-cone: Did not run

20-yard shuttle: Did not run

How he fits: Hooker was an early Heisman Trophy favorite this past season before a torn ACL ended his season prematurely. He did take home SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors, however, after throwing for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns with only two interceptions while rushing for 430 yards and five more touchdowns in 11 starts.

Some look at Hooker's age (25) as a negative but he played in 49 career college games with 37 starts in two different offensive systems. That experience should allow him to adapt to the NFL game quicker than most signal callers coming into the league from the college ranks.

Veteran Jared Goff is the Lions starter in 2023, but GM Brad Holmes wants to improve the depth behind him. There are reports the team has a contract offer in for veteran Teddy Bridgewater to be Goff's backup and Bridgewater is waiting to see what his options are. The team also re-signed Nate Sudfeld, who was Goff's backup in 2022.

Adding a young passer like Hendon, who completed 67 percent of his passes over his college career with 80 touchdowns and 12 picks, would really promote some competition for the backup job and put the Lions in a good position if something happens to Goff and he has to miss time.

Key observations: Hooker led the nation's top offense (yards and points) with an FBS-best 9.53 yards per pass attempt. He also ranked second in pass efficiency (175.5) and seventh in completion percentage (69.6) in 2022. He set Tennessee records by throwing 261 passes without an interception and recording a touchdown pass in 20 straight games.

What they had to say about him: "Hooker is an ultra-productive QB with size, accuracy and athleticism. He operates in the Vols' unique spread attack, where they send their outside wideouts to the extreme edges of the field and force opponents to defend them in space. Hooker has outstanding field vision, makes quick decisions and delivers the ball in a position where his receivers can easily run after the catch. He doesn't have a powerful arm, but he can make all the necessary throws. He throws a beautiful deep ball.

"He has the athleticism to extend plays and he's very effective on designed QB runs. Unfortunately, he suffered an ACL injury late in the season that could jeopardize his rookie campaign. Also, his age (25) is a concern for some teams. Overall, I see Hooker as a quality starting QB and wouldn't be shocked if he has the best career of any passer in this year's class." – Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Media analyst

How he stacks up: There's a pretty common consensus among draft analysts that Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis are the top four quarterbacks in the class, and Hooker is in the second wave and mostly considered No. 5. Jeremiah lists him as the No. 5 quarterback and No. 44 overall prospect.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler ranked all of this year's draft-eligible quarterbacks in tiers and has Hooker in tier 3 as the No. 5 overall QB in the class.

NFL.com's Cynthia Frelund compared Hooker to a combination of Jacoby Brissett and Daniel Jones as the No. 5 quarterback in the class. NFL.com's Bucky Brooks lists Hooker as the third best quarterback in the class behind Young and Stroud but ahead of Richardson and Levis.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Hooker as the No. 5 quarterback and the No. 49 overall prospect in the class.

What he had to say: "Don't mind at all," Hooker told Detroitlions.com at the Senior Bowl about coming to a place like Detroit and learning behind a veteran like Goff. "I'm going to be able to come in and soak up as much information as I can, not just on the field but off the field as well. Coming in with a vet in front of me would be awesome. Being able to just dive in and learn what he knows. I want to be able to be pushed and compete in a positive environment."