In the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans traded up to pick No. 116 to acquire former Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Amani Hooker.
With the move, the Titans gain instant depth behind safeties Kenny Vaccaro and Kevin Byard.
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco gave the Titans a grade of ‘A-‘ for the selection, complimenting Hooker on his Football IQ.
“Hooker loaded the stat sheet at Iowa, and on the field, it seemed to almost solely be due to brilliant football intelligence,” he wrote. “He’s a step ahead of everyone and aced his combined workout. Complete safety but can play nickel in Tennessee.”
With this grade, the Titans have earned straight A’s from Prisco, aside from the ‘C’ they received for the third-round pick of offensive lineman Nate Davis.
Like their three picks ahead of him, Hooker presents a versatile option for the Titans. In his time at Iowa, Hooker saw action at free safety, strong safety, a hybrid position between safety and linebacker created specifically for him and on special teams.
