Did Detroit Lions just land Jared Goff 2.0?

There is no question about it that Jared Goff is the Detroit Lions quarterback moving forward, and it truly does seem like Brad Holmes will eventually sign him to a contract extension. But during the 2023 NFL Draft, the Lions added a quarterback to the mix as they selected Hendon Hooker out of Tennesee in the third round. In a recent article published by The Ringer, Steven Ruiz bashed Holmes for how he went about the 2023 NFL Draft, and he even compared Hooker to Goff, which is comical.

Key Points

• Goff is the team’s quarterback for the future, but they drafted Hooker in the 2023 NFL Draft.
• An article from The Ringer criticized Lions GM Brad Holmes for his approach to the draft and compared Hooker to Goff, which was deemed absurd.
• The author’s claims that Hooker lacks accuracy and has a mediocre arm were disproven by his college stats, and the comparison to Goff was lazy and flawed.

Did Detroit Lions just land Jared Goff 2.0?

The Ringer recently released a very flawed article in with the author took a shot at Lions GM Brad Holmes for how he went about the 2023 NFL Draft. In the article, the author actually compared QB Hendon Hooker to Goff, which is absurd.

“That Detroit didn’t take a big swing on a quarterback is a bit concerning. Goff isn’t a championship-caliber passer, so there’s a clear ceiling on this team with him at the top of the depth chart. And even if Hooker does develop well, there isn’t a ton of upside there. He’s already 25 years old and while he can move well for his size, he’s not a dynamic talent. Hooker’s arm is mediocre, he’s not very accurate, and he’s a bit of a statue in the pocket. If everything breaks right, he could become a midtier quarterback—the kind who will provide value while playing on a cheap rookie contract, but one you don’t necessarily want to pay big money. In other words, a real Jared Goff type.”

Bottom Line: The Ringer swung and missed on this one!

Folks, did you laugh as hard as I did when you read that? In fact, the only part of that paragraph that is true is that Hooker is 25 years old. Can’t move well for his size? I guess 45 carries of 10+ yards over the last two seasons was not enough? How about the claim that Hooker is not very accurate? I guess setting the Tennessee record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception (261) is not accurate enough. What about the claim that his arm is mediocre? I am not saying that Hooker has the arm of Mattew Stafford (or the arm he used to have), but he did lead the FBS with 27 completions of 30 or more yards in 2022, despite missing games.

Folks, Goff is Goff and Hooker is Hooker. The author’s attempt to say they are the same type of player is flat-out lazy.