Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
Tennessee football fans saw the perfect opportunity for the Titans to keep Hendon Hooker at home but they took Will Levis instead.
Will Levis’ slide out of the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft finally ended on Friday, on the second pick of the second round, as the Titans traded up to grab the Kentuck quarterback.
Of course, there were plenty of fans who loved the pick, who had a projection as high as the Top 5 but fell after three other quarterbacks were taken in the first four picks.
Not everyone in Tennessee was stoked about the selection though. Tennessee football fans in particular saw the move as a slap in the face of Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker, who was still on the board.
Here’s how some Volunteers fans, and others, reacted to the pick.
Tennessee football fans wanted the Titans to pick Hendon Hooker over Will Levis
Skip Bayless was on the side of Tennessee fans, revealing serious doubts over whether Levis will work out in the NFL.
Hooker certainly put on a show in college before suffering a devastating knee injury. He had the Volunteers hurdling towards a potential College Football Playoff berth with 3135 yards and 27 touchdowns with just two interceptions in 11 games of action.
The thing about draft picks is you never really know in the moment. But eventually the picks all show their worth, or lack thereof.
It may take a few years, but the Titans will either be accepting apologies from those Volunteers fans if Levis becomes a star or cursing their mistake in passing on Hooker if he takes off with some other team. Or maybe both will work out? Maybe both will flame out? We’ll have to wait and see.