Pre-draft On January 4, 2016, it was announced that Hooper would forfeit his last two years of eligibility and enter the
2016 NFL draft. The draft class was notably thin at
tight end and his draft stock was high after coming off an impressive season. Hooper was one of 15 tight ends to receive an invitation to the
NFL Scouting Combine in
Indianapolis, Indiana. He had an overall impressive performance, finishing third among all tight ends in the
40-yard dash, fourth in the
bench press, fifth in the
three-cone drill, and finished sixth among his position group in the vertical. On March 17, 2016, Hooper opted to participate at Stanford's
Pro Day, performing only positional drills for scouts and team representatives that included
San Francisco 49ers head coach
Chip Kelly and
Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator
Bill Musgrave. Throughout the pre-draft process, Hooper attended private workouts and visits with the
Miami Dolphins,
Atlanta Falcons,
Denver Broncos, and
Tennessee Titans. Hooper was projected to be a second or third round pick by
NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the second best tight end prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com and the third best tight end by
Sports Illustrated and NFL analyst
Mike Mayock.
Atlanta Falcons (first stint) 2016 season The Falcons selected Hooper in the third round (81st overall) of the 2016 NFL draft. He was the second tight end selected, behind
Arkansas'
Hunter Henry, who was drafted by the
San Diego Chargers in the second round (35th overall). Hooper was reunited with former Stanford teammate
Levine Toilolo. On May 5, 2016, the Falcons signed Hooper to a four-year, $3.21 million contract that includes a
signing bonus of $773,428. Throughout his first
training camp, Hooper competed with
Levine Toilolo and
Jacob Tamme for job as the starting tight end. Head coach
Dan Quinn named him the third tight end on the Falcons' depth chart behind Tamme and Toilolo. Hooper made his NFL debut during the season-opening 31–24 loss to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and made the first catch of his career on a 14-yard pass by
Matt Ryan in the third quarter before being tackled by Buccaneers' safety
Bradley McDougald. Three weeks later, Hooper caught his first NFL touchdown on a 42-yard pass from Ryan in a 48–33 victory over the
Carolina Panthers. During Week 8 against the
Green Bay Packers, Hooper earned his first NFL start and had a season-high five receptions for 41 yards in the narrow 33–32 victory. Starting tight end Jacob Tamme suffered a shoulder injury during the game and was eventually placed on injured/reserve for the rest of the season. In the next game against the Buccaneers, Hooper recorded three receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown during the 43–28 road victory. During Week 15 against the
San Francisco 49ers, Hooper caught a nine-yard pass before leaving the 41–13 victory after suffering a grade-2 knee sprain that caused him to miss the remaining two games of the regular season. Hooper finished his rookie year with 19 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games and three starts. The Falcons finished the 2016 season atop the
NFC South with an 11–5 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #2-seed. In the
Divisional Round against the
Seattle Seahawks, Hooper appeared in his first playoff game and caught a 10-yard pass during the 36–20 victory. After the Falcons defeated the Packers in the
NFC Championship Game, they went on to face the
New England Patriots in
Super Bowl LI. During the game, Hooper made three receptions for 32 yards and scored a 19-yard touchdown in the second quarter of the Falcons' 34–28 overtime loss.
2017 season Hooper entered training camp slated as the starting tight end after the retirement of
Jacob Tamme. He was named the starting tight end to begin the regular season under new offensive coordinator
Steve Sarkisian. Hooper started in the season-opener at the
Chicago Bears and made two receptions for a career-high 128 yards and a career-long 88-yard touchdown during the 23–17 victory. During Week 4 against the
Buffalo Bills, Hooper tied his then career-high with five receptions for 50 yards in the 23–17 loss. On October 15, 2017, he caught a career-high seven passes for 48 yards in the Falcons' 20–17 loss to the Dolphins. At the midpoint of the 16-game season, Hooper was second on the team in receiving yards only to
All-Pro wide receiver
Julio Jones. Overall, Hooper finished the 2017 season with 49 receptions for 526 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
2018 season Hooper remained as the Falcons' starting tight end going into the 2018 season. He scored his first receiving touchdown of the season in Week 2 against the Panthers. In Week 11, against the
Cleveland Browns, he had a career-high 10 receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown in the loss. He finished the season with 71 receptions for 660 yards and four touchdowns. On January 15, 2019, Hooper was named to his first Pro Bowl as a replacement for Eagles tight end
Zach Ertz.
2019 season In Week 3 against the
Indianapolis Colts, Hooper caught six passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons lost 27–24. In the next game against the Titans, Hooper caught nine passes for a career-high 130 yards during the 24–10 loss. Two weeks later against the
Arizona Cardinals, Hooper caught eight passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in the narrow 34–33 loss. During Week 10 against the
New Orleans Saints, Hooper had four receptions for 17 yards and a touchdown in the 26–9 victory. Hooper suffered an MCL sprain during the win and was ruled out for the next three games. During Week 16 against the
Jacksonville Jaguars, Hooper caught seven passes for 82 yards in the 24–12 victory. On January 20, 2020, Hooper was named to his second Pro Bowl as a replacement for 49ers tight end
George Kittle. Overall, Hooper finished the 2019 season with 75 receptions for 787 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.
Cleveland Browns On March 20, 2020, Hooper signed a four-year deal with the Browns. The deal was worth $44 million, with a $10 million signing bonus. Hooper finished the 2020 season with 46 receptions for 435 yards and four touchdowns. During the
Wild Card Round against the
Pittsburgh Steelers, Hooper caught seven passes for 46 yards and a touchdown in the 48–37 road victory. Hooper was the starting tight end going into the 2021 season for the Browns. He finished the season with 38 receptions for 345 yards and three touchdowns. On March 17, 2022, Hooper was released by the Browns.
Tennessee Titans On March 21, 2022, Hooper signed a one-year contract with the Titans. In the 2022 season, Hooper had 41 receptions for 444 yards and two touchdowns, which both came in Week 11 against the Packers.
Las Vegas Raiders On March 22, 2023, Hooper signed with the
Las Vegas Raiders. In the 2023 season, Hooper had 25 receptions for 234 yards in 17 games and nine starts.
New England Patriots On March 14, 2024, Hooper signed with the
New England Patriots. Hooper finished the 2024 season with 45 receptions for 476 yards and three touchdowns. On March 9, 2025, Hooper re-signed with the Patriots on a one-year, $5 million contract. He finished the 2025 season with 21 receptions for 263 yards and two touchdowns. During
Super Bowl LX, Hooper had two receptions for 10 yards in the 29–13 loss to the Seahawks.
Atlanta Falcons (second stint) On March 9, 2026, Hooper signed with the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year, $3.25 million contract. ==Career statistics==