NFL Draft: Buccaneers NFC South Rival Targeting Quarterback Hendon Hooker?

Some want the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to pursue the Heisman Trophy candidate, but there may be another NFC South team that gets in the way.

If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going young at quarterback following the retirement of Tom Brady, it makes sense that Kyle Trask would get first crack at being the starter. 

That is unless the Bucs plan on trading up in the first round to add CJ Stroud (Ohio State), Bryce Young (Alabama), Anthony Richardson (Florida), or Will Levis (Kentucky). 

Even if Tampa Bay moves up for Richardson or Levis it's highly probable each will need at least one season in the NFL before they're ready to step on the field as a starter. 

If the Buccaneers invest in a developmental quarterback, it would make sense to most that they do so on the second or third day of the NFL Draft, not the first. 

READ MORE: Tampa Bay Cut Candidates

And Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker is a name to watch in that conversation. 

But it turns out, the Bucs may not be the only team eyeing the Heisman Trophy candidate, as the New Orleans Saints have been named as a potential landing spot for him in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

If the Saints are really contenders, then the question to ask is when would they pull the trigger on selecting Hooker?

In recent mock drafts, that question doesn't have the easiest answer. 

Luke Easterling of USA Today Sports' DraftWire projects Hooker to the Saints, and he does so in the third round at pick No. 71.

This means the Buccaneers couldn't wait until No. 82 in the third round, but No. 50 in the second round may be too high. 

Or is it?

Ross Jackson of Locked On Saints selected Hooker for the Saints in the second round of a recent seven-round mock, and a recent CBS Sports' two-round mock draft echoed that selection.

That means Tampa Bay would need to move between 19 and 40 to get Hooker before New Orleans does. 

Of course, those second and third-round selections don't gel completely with some popular draft sites, such as Draft Network's Joe Marino (host of Locked On Bills) who grades Hooker at a fourth-round value. 

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compares Hooker to former Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder who was drafted with the 74th overall selection in 2022, more closely mirroring what we're seeing in recent mocks. 

READ MORE: Should Buccaneers Pursue Seahawks Quarterback?

Hooker's ACL injury is going to be an influencing factor as to why he slides up and down some boards, and why his positioning in mock drafts is going to differ even more. 

How the Bucs feel about him as a potential NFL quarterback is something we won't publicly know leading up to the selection meeting.

But there's a lot of smoke around Hooker and the Saints, and if the Buccaneers don't want to risk his developing into a strong NFL quarterback against them twice per season, they'll likely need to get aggressive in order to scoop him up before it happens.

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82

Stick with BucsGameday and the Locked On Bucs podcast for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook