Commanders News: Magic Johnson, Hendon Hooker and Ron Rivera’s future
By Dean Jones
Commanders’ interest in Hendon Hooker
Although the chances of taking a quarterback in the opening few rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft appear remote, it hasn’t stopped the Washington Commanders from finding out more about certain prospects. One, in particular, seems to be getting more traction than most.
According to John Keim of ESPN, the Commanders are set to bring in Hendon Hooker for a top-30 visit before the draft. Recently appointed assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Eric Bieneimy was also at Tennessee’s pro day last week, so it’s not hard to connect the dots.
Hooker was one of college football’s best signal-callers last season. He looked right in contention to win the Heisman Trophy before a serious knee injury derailed his progress, but all signs point to the player being ready to go at some stage during the preparation period.
The Commanders have already stated their intent to move forward with Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett, who’ll participate in a training camp battle for the No. 1 job. Hooker is expected to go anywhere from the late first round to the second, which means Washington would be ignoring other critical needs if they went in this direction.
There are just too many questions surrounding Hooker for the Commanders to justify taking him in the first two rounds. But if Bieniemy bangs the table hard enough, nothing can be ruled out.