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*Walt taking 2014 and 2018

Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates. Led all NFL media in draft rumor accuracy in '15, '16, '17, '18, and '20 Led all NFL media in correct picks for the 2017 and 2019 NFL Drafts 2021 NFL MOCK DRAFT - WALT'S | CHARLIE'S ROUND: 1

Malik Hooker Out 4-6 Months After Two Surgeries

Hooker was one of the breakout players in college football in 2016, as the redshirt sophomore totaled 74 tackles with 5.5 for a loss, half a sack, four passes broken up and seven interceptions. He returned three of those picks for touchdowns in his first season as a starter. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder impressed evaluators with his natural skills as a single high safety and his ability to be a game changer in pass coverage. Hooker is atop our NFL Draft Safety Prospect Rankings.    

At this time, the injuries don't appear to be threatening to his rookie season, so his draft stock may not see much of an impact from these surgeries. Multiple teams have told WalterFootball.com that Hooker has received high first-round grades, so even with these injuries, he may not have a long wait to find out his NFL home on Thursday night of the draft.