The New York Giants are in the midst of contract negotiations with quarterback Daniel Jones as he is set to become a free agent for the first time in his career this offseason. Jones is reportedly seeking a lofty price tag for his contract extension that will force the Giants to make him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.
According to The New York Post, “Jones’ presence in the huddle in 2023 is really not up for debate in the minds of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.” However, the Giants seem to be preparing contingencies as they are reportedly scouting a 2023 NFL Draft quarterback prospect “extensively.”
Giants reportedly scouting Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker extensively
Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network recently reported that Tennessee quarterback prospect Hendon Hooker has generated a significant amount of pre-draft interest around the league. Fowler claims that Hooker “has met extensively with the Raiders, Panthers, Giants, Saints, and Cowboys during the pre-draft process.”
The two surprising teams listed are both placed in the NFC East. Both the Giants and Cowboys seemingly have their franchise quarterbacks in Daniel Jones and Dak Prescott, respectively. However, both teams are heavily scouting Hooker ahead of April.
Hendon Hooker is a dual-threat quarterback prospect that had his 2022 season cut short with a torn ACL suffered in November. However, Hooker is expected to be healthy and ready for the start of training camp this summer.
Prior to suffering his ACL tear in November, Hendon Hooker was listed as the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in October. Hooker threw for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and two interceptions with 430 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns in 2022.
The 6-foot-4, 218-pound quarterback prospect has all the tools and traits of the NFL’s top signal-callers. Hooker is athletic and has the prototypical build of an NFL quarterback.
Hendon Hooker is currently listed with a fourth-round value by The Draft Network. Analyst Bucky Brookes believes that Hooker could have been a top-three quarterback prospect in the draft class if not for his season-ending injury. PFF has Hooker as a third-round prospect, making him a reasonable target for the New York Giants who have two third-round picks in this year’s draft.
The Giants have their future mapped out at quarterback with Daniel Jones. But it couldn’t hurt to have a contingency in place with a mid-round, developmental rookie like Hendon Hooker. Brian Daboll is one of the best quarterback gurus in the NFL, developing Josh Allen into a perennial MVP candidate and turning Daniel Jones into a franchise guy.
If the Giants were to take a chance on a prospect like Hendon Hooker, Brian Daboll could keep him in the fold behind Daniel Jones as a high-end developmental prospect. Hooker has all the potential in the world and, with the right coaching staff in place, could develop into a decent player in the pros.