2013 NFL Draft Analysis: Sean Hooey

[TRAVIS KELCE – GEORGE WINN – WALTER STEWART – SEAN HOOEY]

I’m gonna be honest with you. At this point I’m straight up guessing if Sean Hooey is the fourth most likely Bearcat to be drafted sometime over the next few days. You could probably make the argument to plug Drew Frey or Kenbrell Thompkins in here but I’m going out on a limb and shine the spotlight on the gargantuan Cincinnati offensive tackle.

After an impressive showing in his first career start against the Louisville Cardinals on the road in 2010, Sean Hooey became a starter at right tackle to begin the 2011 season. As a junior he thrived in Cincinnati’s non-conference games paving the way for Isaiah Pead on the right side of the offensive line. But his season was derailed due to an ankle injury against the same Cardinals team he began his career against a year earlier. One of the most intriguing offensive linemen prospects heading into the 2012 season was now perpetually slowed down by his ankle. Hooey started just 2 games this past year due to the recurring pain in his foot which could ultimately jeopardize his draft possibilities.

STRENGTHS

Size
Flexibility
Upside

The most recognizable feature of Sean Hooey is that he’s fricken enormous. At 6’8″, 300 lbs he is many times the largest person whenever he walks into a room. Most importantly he knows how to throw his body around. With long arms and a large build, defensive ends have a whale of a time getting past him. But in spite of all that size, he actually moves remarkably well. Hooey is a former tight end and the prime example of why targeting these high school players with the objective of molding them into offensive tackles in college can work. His quick feet and hip flexibility allowed him to catch up to the smaller speed rushers he faced many times in the Big East.

All of these factors combined make Hooey a prospect who could grow into a solid offensive tackle at the next level. And he really doesn’t need to do much growing physically. Hooey already boasts an NFL-sized body. He only needs to hone his blocking skills, continue improving his agility, and adjust to a faster level of play to make a name for himself in the pros.

WEAKNESSES

Injury Risk
Experience

The most intriguing aspect about Sean Hooey, or any offensive tackle really, was his surprising agility and flexibility for a player his size. He could move and bend his body to keep pass rushers in check and quarterbacks upright and was able to do so because he stayed healthy. Once he injured his ankle in 2011, his ability to perform at that level dropped like a rock. Not only that but when he went down Eric Lefeld replaced him and never gave up the spot. Now whether it was because of the lagging problems with his ankle, Lefeld’s flat out dominance at right tackle, or that he had a tiff with Butch Jones but Hooey barely saw the field after his injury in 2011. He has just a handful of college games under his belt and will have a steeper learning curve to adjusting to the position at the next level than someone who played all of their senior year.

PROJECTED ROUND(S)/LIKELY TEAM(S)

7th – Undrafted
Anybody looking for depth at OT

It’s clear with Sean Hooey that the size and raw abilities are there. But his injured ankle and lack of experience might turn some teams off to him. He was once projected to be a day one or two pick but now it appears that he’ll be lucky to be drafted at all. If a team selects him this weekend they would have done their homework on his medical status and determined that his ankle problems are behind him. And if Hooey does make it onto an NFL roster and stays healthy, he could have an excellent pro career.

HIGHLIGHTS