Maxen Hook, Toledo: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Hook was a three-star safety recruit from New Palestine High School in New Palestine, Ind. in the class of 2020
Toledo safety Maxen Hook is one of the easiest prospects to enjoy watching in the 2025 NFL Draft. He plays with his motor and intensity always cranked up and doesn’t shy away from doing dirty work in run defense. Hook projects as a Day 3 selection and early career special teams contributor.
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Maxen Hook, S Toledo: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Fifth-year free safety from New Palestine, Ind.
Background: Hook was a three-star safety recruit from New Palestine High School in New Palestine, Ind. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 2,627 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 2,683 for On3.com. Hook was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 72 grade out of 100. As a high school sophomore, Hook produced 69 tackles with four tackles for loss, three interceptions, six passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries. He tallied 126 tackles with 14.5 for loss and four sacks, three interceptions, six passes defensed, a fumble recovery, three forced fumbles, a blocked punt, and a blocked field goal as a junior. Hook also played a role on offense, catching five passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. As a senior, he amassed 90 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, a pass defensed, four fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. Hook contributed 25 receptions for 447 yards and seven touchdowns on offense. He was an All-State selection three times and was Indiana’s Defensive Back Mr. Football in 2019. Hook led New Palestine to a Class 5A State Championship as a senior.
Injuries & Off-Field: Missed two games in 2022, missed five games in 2023, unable to finish Senior Bowl week due to injury
Awards: 2021 Third Team All-MAC, 2022 First Team All-MAC, 2023 First Team All-MAC, 2023 Team Captain, 2024 First Team All-MAC, 2024 Team Captain
Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, arm length checks the box at 32 1/4", hips appear more fluid than expected, good speed, coverage range, speed to pick up and carry slot options vertically from off-man, athletic traits to match up well with tight ends, reads the quarterback’s eyes, anticipates and steps down to cut off throwing lanes, closing burst, ball tracking, high points and rises to meet the ball, willing to work downhill vs. the run, runs the alley, sideline-to-sideline range in run defense, range translates to run defense, good angles in run defense, makes one-on-one tackles in space, motor runs hot
Cons: Size limitations, occasionally a step slow to see through route combinations, bites on route fakes, still developing anticipation skills in man coverage, limited exposure to tight man coverage in the slot, eagerness to get downhill or chase the ball can backfire, occasionally overruns plays in pursuit, size limits ability to separate from larger blockers, drops a shoulder instead of wrapping up, can be dragged for extra yards
Overview: Hook enters the NFL with more than 680 career special teams snaps split across the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. At Toledo, he deployed as a deep middle of the field safety, in two-high shells, over the slot in off-man, and down in the box as a pseudo weakside linebacker. The fifth-year prospect lacks ideal height but offers decent density for a safety his size. Hook’s 32 1/4" arms check the box. He offers a nice combination of athleticism, speed, and range in coverage. Unfortunately, Hook wasn’t exposed to many press coverage opportunities in the slot, so his instincts in man are underdeveloped. He has the speed to carry slot receivers vertically from off-man and is a good athletic match against tight ends. The Indiana native reads the quarterback’s eyes in zone coverage to step down and undercut throwing lanes. He never produced outstanding ball production at Toledo but deterred a significant number of throws by compressing lanes or drifting underneath potential targets. Hook’s closing burst helps him challenge routes breaking in front of his face. He tracks and high points the ball well but lacks the size to consistently dominate at the catch point. Despite playing more than 2,600 career defensive snaps, Hook is sometimes late to see through route combinations and bites on eye candy and route fakes. Ideally, he’d enter the league with more experience in diverse coverage roles in the slot. His agility and change of direction are solid, but both are far from elite, which presents some limitations in coverage. The All-MAC selection runs the alley and quickly works downhill. His sideline-to-sideline range makes him a weapon when he drops down in the box. Hook takes good angles in run defense and makes an impressive amount of one-on-one tackles in space. His eagerness to play downhill sometimes leads to him overrunning ball carriers in pursuit. He lacks the play strength and technique to shed blocks in a timely manner. Hook occasionally defaults to throwing a shoulder on tackle attempts instead of wrapping up, and larger ball carriers drag him for extra yardage.
Overall, Hook is a high motor veteran safety with impressive range, instincts in zone coverage, and competitive toughness. He projects best as a team’s third option at safety who primarily contributes on special teams early in his career. Hook needs to improve his coverage versatility and processing to compete for defensive snaps.
Role & Scheme Fit: Free safety in a scheme majoring in Cover 2 or Cover 3
Round Grade: Mid Fourth to Early Fifth Round
Size: 5'11 7/8", 193 lbs. (Senior Bowl)
Submitted: 11-29-24
Updated: 02-25-25