The Lions selected Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Hooker transferred from Virginia Tech to Tennessee ahead of the 2021 season. The following two years proved highly productive in HC Josh Heupel’s spread system. Across 14 games, Hooker tallied 6,080 yards, 58 TDs, and only 5 INTs. Boasting plus mobility and ample arm talent, Hooker’s negatives are rather striking. He’ll be a 25-year-old rookie. And he’s coming off a November 19 ACL tear. There’s a chance Hooker plays late in the 2023 season, but his fantasy value is most likely to kick in for 2024. Landing in Round 3 indicates the league doesn't view him as a sure future starter. Going to the Lions means Hooker will have time to move past the ACL tear and develop behind Jared Goff. We're not excited about the dynasty outlook for Hooker, but he has a spot in superflex rookie drafts. Check out Hooker's spot in our dynasty QB rankings.
Lions OC Ben Johnson is passing on HC opportunities elsewhere to stick with Detroit for 2023, according to multiple reports. Johnson elected to skip an in-person interview with the Panthers this week, after already talking with the franchise by teleconference. Johnson was viewed as the favorite for the Carolina job and has also interviewed with the Colts and Texans. He instead sticks with an offense that jumped from 25th in scoring and 22nd in yards in 2021 to 5th and 4th, respectively, this season. Detroit also leaped from 29th in Football Outsiders' offensive DVOA to 5th. Johnson's continued presence is undoubtedly good news for QB Jared Goff and other key Lions offensive pieces.
According to Dave Burkett of the Detroit Free Press, Lions HC Dan Campbell "all but confirmed" Monday that QB Jared Goff will remain the starter in 2023. "He's really a perfect fit for what we do and what we ask," Campbell said. The Rams, of course, paid Detroit draft picks (including 2 first-rounders) to swap Matthew Stafford for Goff 2 offseasons ago. Goff didn't do anything impressive across 14 games in his 1st year with the Lions. But he finished this season throwing 324 consecutive passes without an INT. Goff also finished 15th among QBs in fantasy points per game (depending on your format). He has 2 more years on his contract, though each comes with salaries of more than $30 million vs. dead-cap totals of $10 million and then $5 million if he were to get cut, according to Spotrac. Detroit also holds the 6th overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, thanks to the Rams -- along with their own selection at #18. So although Goff looks most likely to open next season at the helm, it's worth noting that Campbell stopped short of actually confirming that the 2023 job belongs to Goff.
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