2023 Mock Draft: Two Volunteers go in round one, Hendon Hooker lands in the second

As we get closer to the NFL Draft, it seems like a couple of Tennessee prospects are picking up some steam. Darnell Wright and Hendon Hooker are coming off of big weeks at the Senior Bowl, and a couple of analysts have moved them up the pecking order in their latest mock drafts.

Biletnikoff winner Jalin Hyatt remains in the first round conversation, while pass rusher Byron Young should come off the board sometime on day two.

ESPN’s Matt Miller placed three of those four prospects in his two-round projection over the weekend.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Darnell Wright

25. New York Giants: Jalin Hyatt

Wright, who was named the Senior Bowl offensive line practice player of the week by his peers in Mobile, has been ascending up board since mid-fall. NFL teams took notice of the work he was putting in, keeping Hendon Hooker upright and able to attack down the field. He’s backed all of that up so far in the draft process.

Hyatt’s electric speed is going to keep him in the first round conversation, despite the lack of size. There also isn’t really a true No. 1 guy in this receiver class, so it’s going to be anyone’s guess at who goes first and in what order. We know speed has pushed players up before, and that certainly could happen here.

Miller also found a potential landing spot for Hooker, one that makes quite a bit of sense.

52. Seattle Seahawks: Hendon Hooker

Seattle makes a move toward the future at quarterback, landing Hooker, who is arguably the best deep-ball thrower in the draft. He is an older prospect (25) and is coming off a November ACL injury, but over the past two seasons at Tennessee, he has thrown 58 touchdown passes to just five interceptions while constantly challenging defenses down the field. Hooker is no sure thing, but he’s a great investment at pick No. 52 to learn behind Geno Smith (assuming Seattle re-signs its starter) while getting healthy.

Hooker claims that he will be ready for training camp, despite tearing his ACL in November. By all accounts, Hooker had a great week at the Senior Bowl, despite being sidelined. It should come as no surprise that he was great in a team interview setting. Hooker also benefits from a pretty shallow quarterback class.

Next up for Hendon will be medical checks, which will obviously tell the story about how high he goes in April.