Austin Hooper was Atlanta’s best tight end drafted since Alge Crumpler waaaay back in 2001, though obviously Kyle Pitts will be coming for that crown. It took some time, but Hooper gained an almost telepathic connection with quarterback Matt Ryan.
Hooper became an integral part to Atlanta’s offense as a short to intermediate target who could give Ryan an outlet when coverage was sticky up top or the offensive line fell apart. In 2019, Hooper finished with almost 100 targets despite missing three games.
Shockingly, due to a series of bumbling decisions, then-current general manager Thomas Dimitroff failed to even offer Hooper a new contract.