Malik Hooker

NFL Draft Rumors: Hooker, Ross, Mahomes

Here’s the latest draft news:

  • Ohio State safety Malik Hooker announced that he is leaving school to enter the 2017 draft. Hooker, a redshirt sophomore, had seven interceptions and returned three of those picks for touchdowns. Scouts are high on him, but he has only one year of starting under his belt. Hooker is widely projected to be a first-round pick.
  • Washington wide receiver John Ross III is skipping his senior year and entering the draft, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Despite two knee surgeries which cost him the 2015 season, Ross has maintained his blazing speed and figures to be one of the first receivers to come off the board this spring. This year, he hauled in 81 receptions for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns.
  • Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes II is going pro and he has signed with an agent, Alex Marvez of The Sporting News tweets. Mahomes has gaudy numbers, but he comes with a few asterisks. For starters, the Texas Tech offense tends to lend itself to inflated totals. Secondly, Mahomes has been battling shoulder issues for the last year and he recently had wrist surgery. Right now, the consensus seems to be that Mahomes’ draft stock is a tier below fellow QBs like Mitch Trubisky, DeShone Kizer, and Deshaun Watson.
  • The 2017 draft order has been set for about two-thirds of the NFL.