From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Toledo strong safety Maxen Hook.
No. 25 Maxen Hook/SS Toledo – 6004, 203 pounds (Fifth Year Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Maxen Hook | 6004/203 | 9 1/8 | 31 1/2 | 75 1/2 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.55 | 1.60 | 4.34* | 6.92* | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’4” | 35.5* | 18* |
*Pro Day Results
THE GOOD
– Well-built with muscular frame
– Reliable and consistent open field tackler, gets runners to the ground
– Physical demeanor and attacks downhill
– Finishes with good hit power and possesses good upper-body strength
– Able to chase and close
– Takes good angles to the football and plays inside out
– Contests underneath throws well
– Flashes ability to track the ball downfield as post safety
– Fluid turn out of pedal
– Good overall testing (8.50 RAS)
– Versatile and moved around defensively
– Plenty of tackle production and always around the ball
– Excellent special-teams background with productivity
– Heady and ball-aware player
– Regarded as high-character and quality person/teammate
The Bad
– Average foot speed
– Consistently late with his eyes to find/key the football
– Eyes can get stuck in backfield, causing him to be late to turn his hips and lack pure recovery speed
– Shows more hip tightness once up to speed
– Didn’t make many impact plays behind the line of scrimmage
– Has decent injury history
Bio
– Turns 24 in August 2025
– Four-year starter for Rockets
– Career: 356 tackles (7.5 TFL) 22 PDs, 7 INTs, 2 FFs, and 2 sacks
– 2024: 107 tackles (1 TFL) 6 PDs, 2 INTs, 1 FF
– Returned block punt for 25-yard touchdown in 2021
– Two-star recruit from New Palenstine, Indiana; chose Toledo over Miami (OH), Bowling Green, Navy, Air Force, and several FCS schools (Dartmouth, Cornell, Illinois State, Indiana State, South Dakota State)
– Only third Rocket named All-MAC selection in four seasons (First-Team final three years)
– Had 90 tackles as high school senior, also played tight end with 23 receptions and seven scores and school won state title as senior
– 2024 snaps: 494 box, 245 FS, 80 slot (per PFF)
– MBA in leadership
– 679 career special teams snaps (primarily 2020-2022, 288 snaps in 2021 on five phases)
– Turned down chance to transfer from Toledo despite being pursued, cited loyalty to program as reason for staying
– Missed nearly three full games in 2022 due to concussion; suffered knee injury later that season; missed five games in 2023 due to injury (appears to have been foot injury), injury had him opt back to school for 2024, missed 2025 Senior Bowl game due to injury after practicing throughout the week
– Says front yard back home was a “corn field”
– Played basketball, baseball, and football growing up, played basketball through junior season, lost in playoffs to team who had Browns OT Dawand Jones
– Mother worked third shift at a foundry, father owns landscaping business and both regarded as hard workers passed down to Maxen
Tape Breakdown
Maxen Hook went from light recruit at a small high school that became a powerhouse, once not losing a regular season game for more than five straight seasons, to starring at Toledo and earning an NFL Combine invite. Decorated and productive, Hook is a good hitter who consistently throws his weight around and is a solid and consistent tackler. He doesn’t deliver TKOs, but he gets the job done.
He wore plenty of hats for the Rockets. After cutting his teeth on special teams, he aligned all over defensively. Free safety isn’t his ideal spot, but he flashed range on this goal-line interception against Western Kentucky.
Negatively, he is late keying and finding the football, and was often fooled by read options and offensive window dressing. In coverage, his eyes could also get stuck on backfield action and had trouble seeing through the trash. Examples.
He shows a fluid turn but lacks elite foot speed. If he’s late opening his hips, he struggles to recover, as shown in one clip above on the deep throw. However, he can bump and run with tight ends and covers throws well underneath.
Hook is also on the older side, with foot and knee injuries. It’s not an ideal combination.
Conclusion
Overall, Maxen Hook is a consistent and active strong safety always around the ball. At minimum, he should find a home on special teams and work well as a sixth defensive back/strong safety, doing his best work near the line of scrimmage. Still, he lacks high-end explosiveness and foot speed to log full-time starting snaps. He’ll also have to avoid injuries and make sure he’s available as a likely Day Three selection, where one ailment could derail the start of his career.
But the NFL has a home for intense tacklers, and Hook checks the box. High-floor, low-ceiling, so long as he stays out of the trainer’s room.
My NFL comp is Clayton Fejedelem, a core special-teams player across seven seasons and counting.
Projection: Mid-Late Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 6.7 – Fifth Round (Backup/Special Teamer)
Games Watched: at Western Kentucky (2024), vs Miami OH (2024), vs Bowling Green (2024)
