With the No. 116 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Titans chose to bolster the secondary by selecting former Iowa Hawkeyes safety Amani Hooker.
He’ll join a group of Titans safeties which includes the solid duo of Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro, but should find no issue making a name for himself on Tennessee’s roster.
In college, the 5-foot-11, 210-pounder started at free safety, strong safety and a hybrid safety position last season that allowed him to work as an extra linebacker as well on some plays.
The Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar included Hooker in a recent article in which he listed out 19 late-round draft picks who could instantly make an impact for the Titans.
He noted Hooker’s ability to bring versatility and ability to defend against both the pass and the run as reasons the fourth-rounder could make his presence felt early on.
“Tennessee’s safety rotation is already impressive enough with Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro, but the addition of Iowa’s Hooker in the fourth round gives Mike Vrabel’s defense even more versatility,” he wrote. “With Hooker defending the intermediate passing game and slamming down on run fits, Byard can cover the deep third as he does, and Vaccaro can maintain his status as the versatile slot-to-safety defender. If you see the Titans deciphering opposing offenses with a lot of “big nickel” (three-safety) sets, Hooker may be the reason why.
It will be interesting to see just how effective Hooker is as the Titans continue to go through offseason activities ahead of the 2019 NFL season.
