Before Mike Tannenbaum was an NFL analyst for ESPN, he served as the general manager & senior vice president of football operations for the New York Jets between 2006 and 2012.
According to a Detroit radio host, Tannenbaum’s latest mock draft for the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft is evidence that there might be a reason he’s no longer in that position.
Tannenbaum released his latest mock draft on Tuesday and it quickly went viral for saying that the Seattle Seahawks would select Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker with the fifth overall pick. The NFL world reacted in part because the Seahawks just re-signed Geno Smith to a three-year deal but also because the 25-year-old Hooker, who is rehabbing a torn ACL that he suffered in November, is considered by most experts as, at best, a second-round graded quarterback.
“OK, this one might raise some eyebrows, but hear me out,” said Tannenbaum. “I think Hooker is really under-scouted right now, largely because he’s coming off the torn ACL in his left knee. But I love his strong arm and 6-3 frame. Before the injury, Hooker looked great for the Vols. He led the nation in yards per attempt (9.5), threw two interceptions over 11 starts, and was a top-10 passer in terms of completion percentage (69.6%). I see a potential franchise quarterback and someone who can lead an offense. Go watch his performance against Alabama if you disagree.
“The Seahawks recently re-signed Geno Smith, but this is an excellent opportunity to draft and develop Hooker while also letting him rehab the knee. Smith turns 33 this season, and his new contract offers Seattle various outs over the next three seasons.”
Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum selected Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker (25 years old; coming off torn ACL) 5th overall in an ESPN NFL mock draft.
"This would be a shocking first-round pick…. one of the more shocking high first-round picks in my history at 45 years."- Mel Kiper Jr. pic.twitter.com/tqXE4WIzel
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 28, 2023
Tannenbaum justified his mock draft picks by saying that they’re less about what the team might do and more about what he personally would do if he were the team’s GM.
“I’m sliding into the general manager chair for each team with a first-rounder and making my own picks,” Tannenbaum wrote. “This isn’t what I’m expecting but rather how I’d personally approach each Day 1 selection. And what follows is based off my own evaluations, preferences, and philosophies.”
You can count 97.1 The Ticket sports radio host Mike Valenti among those who think Tannenbaum’s thoughts on Hooker say something about why he’s no longer working for an NFL team.
“What is this guy on crack? Maybe that’s why Tannenbaum lost his job as a GM,” Valenti said Tuesday on The Valenti Show with Rico. “Hendon Hooker is a system quarterback where Josh Heupel managed to create unnatural matchups by putting receivers out of bounds basically.”
“Automatically I hate this mock draft,” he added.
Tannenbaum also had Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle Jalen Carter sliding all the way to the 18th overall pick for the Detroit Lions. While Carter has certainly seen his draft stock fall in recent weeks, Valenti finds it hard to believe that the All-American will still be available at that point.
“I think Tannenbaum’s gotta be drug tested, but I’ll take it,” Valenti said.
We’ll find out if Tannenbaum’s spicy predictions bear out when the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft gets here on Thursday, April 27.
[The Valenti Show with Rico, via Barrett Sports Media]
