Indianapolis Colts safety Malik Hooker is set to hit free agency for the first time in his career after an up-and-down tenure with the team that drafted him in the first round.
The former No. 15 overall pick in 2017, unfortunately, spent the majority of the 2020 season on the injured reserve list after he suffered a torn Achilles during the Week 2 game against the Minnesota Vikings..
Seeing that the Colts already have their starting tandem in Khari Willis and Julian Blackmon, it’s hard to see Hooker returning unless it’s on a veteran minimum deal. If he’s going to hit the market, Pro Football Focus believes the Las Vegas Raiders are a strong fit for the Ohio State product.
The problem is that Hooker didn’t get a ton of those opportunities in Indianapolis. The Colts utilized two-high safeties on 1,309 of their defensive snaps from 2017 to 2019 (ninth-most in the NFL). Meanwhile, Gus Bradley — one of the more prominent Cover 3 defensive minds in the NFL — used two-high safeties on a league-low 527 defensive snaps over that same timeframe as defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.
That sets me up for Hooker’s ideal team fit this offseason. The Las Vegas Raiders defense under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is in desperate need of playmakers in their secondary. Johnathan Abram should get another opportunity as the strong safety in the “Kam Chancellor role,” but Las Vegas has no clear answer at the free safety position right now.
Hooker is a potentially cheap option to fill that hole on the Raiders’ defense. His projected contract on the PFF free agency page sits at just one year and $2.5 million — essentially a prove-it deal. With little salary cap room to maneuver this offseason, it may be difficult for the Raiders to go after top options like Simmons, Harris and Williams, but Hooker is certainly a realistic target that makes sense in Bradley’s scheme.
Best team fit: Las Vegas Raiders
Hooker’s time with the Colts was rocky. He flashed supreme talent during his rookie season, nabbing three interceptions in seven games before a torn ACL ended the campaign prematurely.
Then he battled injuries and inconsistent play over the next three seasons. The Colts declined Hooker’s fifth-year option for 2021, hoping it would be somewhat of a wake-up call for the young safety. But the torn Achilles botched those plans, and Hooker watched Blackmon take over his role in the secondary.
It will be interesting to see where Hooker lands. He’s still young enough for a team to take a chance on him, but it is unlikely to be the Colts after the last four seasons.
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