Hendon Hooker's Maturity Praised by Lions' Dan Campbell: I Liked 'That He Was Older'

Hendon Hooker's age was generally viewed as a negative leading up to the 2023 NFL draft, but Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell liked that the quarterback would be coming into the league as a 25-year-old.

Appearing on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast (starts at 0:45 mark), Campbell explained he "like the fact that he was older" because "you want your quarterback to be more mature."

The Lions used their first third-round pick (No. 68 overall) to select Hooker.

There were greater concerns about Hooker's age when it was thought he might be a first-round pick.

Once he landed in the third round, most analysts praised the selection as a good value bet for a Lions team that might need a long-term answer at quarterback.

Campbell acknowledged the Lions said they came into the offseason knowing they "wanted to bring in some competition at quarterback."

Jared Goff still has two years remaining on his contract, but they could save almost $26 million against the cap by moving on after 2023. He's coming off one of his best seasons in 2022 with 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 65.1 completion percentage.

Despite his strong performance last season, history has shown there's a ceiling to how much Goff can elevate an offense. He averaged 20.3 touchdown passes and 12.3 interceptions per season from 2019 to '21.

Hooker is a wild card for the Lions who may not even contribute as a rookie. He's still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Tennessee's Nov. 19 loss to South Carolina.

Leading up to the draft, Hooker told The Athletic's Jeff Howe he expects to be 100 percent cleared by Sept. 1.

B/R's Derrik Klassen compared Hooker's skill set to a mobile Bryce Petty, noting he "showcased very few NFL reps and high-level NFL traits at Tennessee" combined with his age.

Campbell certainly seems to believe that Hooker could eventually become a key contributor for the Lions. Using a third-round pick on a high-upside quarterback isn't a bad move for the team at all, especially if Goff takes a step back in 2023.