Hooker has played in every game for the Titans since joining the franchise in 2019.
Dec 20, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans strong safety Amani Hooker (37) tackles Detroit Lions running back D’Andre Swift (32) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
As former Hawkeye Amani Hooker heads into his third season with the Tennessee Titans, ESPN projects him to be a consistent starter for the first time in his professional career.
Hooker was drafted by the Titans in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft after a three-year collegiate career with the Hawkeyes.
Hooker played for the Hawkeyes from 2016-18, foregoing his senior season to declare for the NFL draft. In 2016, he was one of only 10 true freshmen to see time on the field for the Hawkeyes.
In his final season with the Hawkeyes in 2018, Hooker was named Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, and he received second-team All-America honors from the Associated Press and USA Today.
Hooker also ranked second on the Hawkeyes’ roster with 65 tackles. He also shared the team lead with four interceptions and seven pass break-ups during his junior season.
Since he joined the Titans in 2019, Hooker has played in all of Tennessee’s games.
In the 2020-21 season, Hooker grabbed four interceptions — good for seventh in the NFL.
The Minneapolis, Minnesota, native received more playing time in 2020-21. Hooker played 30 percent of the Titans’ defensive snaps during the 2019-20 regular season. He was on the field for 42 percent of Tennessee’s defensive snaps in 2020-21.
In 2021-22, Hooker will be tasked with improving the Titans’ defense.
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Last season, the Tennessee defense gave up 27.4 points per game, ranking 23rd in the league.
Though the Titans had 15 interceptions in 2020-21, Tennessee’s pass defense gave up 4,439 yards. The Titan secondary also gave up 36 touchdowns.
Hooker also struggled in the Titans’ defensive backfield in 2020-21. Hooker was targeted 23 times and 82.6 percent of those targets were completed. Hooker was targeted fewer times in 2019, but only allowed 46.2 percent of those passes to be completed.
Hooker allowed 10 yards per target in 2020-21, compared to 5.2 yards in 2019-20.
Hooker also had some trouble tackling in 2020-21 as he had a 13.6 percent missed tackle rate, compared to 4.6 percent in 2019, when he missed just one tackle.
Under defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who worked with the Titans from 2018-20, Tennessee was 28th in total defensive yards allowed in 2020-21.
In the 2021 offseason, the Titans added some depth to their defensive backfield as they signed former New Orleans Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Tennessee also drafted two cornerbacks, including Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley in the first round.
After Pees retired, the Titans promoted their outside linebackers coach Shane Brown to defensive coordinator.
Jim Schwartz, a former Titans defensive coordinator from 2001-08 and Detroit Lions head coach from 2009-13, was rehired by Tennessee as a senior defensive assistant. He was also the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator from 2016-20. Schwartz and the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2017.
In 2017, Schwartz’s Philadelphia defense ranked fourth in the NFL in points allowed.
Hooker is one of two safeties projected to start in the Titans’ defensive backfield in 2021-22, as free safety Kevin Byard will return to Tennessee for his sixth season with the franchise.
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