Good news for Ohio State safety Malik Hooker. The results of his Combine recheck are in and things went about as well they could, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hooker is healing well and there are no questions about his long-term health heading into the draft.
Hooker has been unable to participate workouts for teams prior to the draft due to a surgically repaired labrum and hernia. Still, Hooker is regarded as the best safety in this year’s class and is widely viewed as a top ten pick. Both the Bears at No. 3 and the Titans at No. 5 are potential landing spots. Our latest mock draft has Hooker going No. 6 overall to the Jets.
Hooker started only one year in college but scouts believe that he has some of the highest upside of any player in this year’s draft. Now that his medical recheck came back OK, he’s still likely to be the first safety off the board, keeping himself ahead of LSU’s Jamal Adams.
As a redshirt sophomore, Hooker had seven interceptions and returned three of those for touchdowns.
So Ian Rapoport is a doctor, too?
“Still, Hooker is regarded as the best safety in this year’s class.” According to whom?
“He’s still likely to be the first safety off the board, keeping himself ahead of LSU’s Jamal Adams.” Again, who is saying this?
Everything I’ve read seems to imply that Adams is likelier to be off the board first, but that there’s a chance Hooker could jump him. Sounds to me like teams are higher on Adams, overall.