With teammate Jacob Tamme (shoulder) unavailable to play, Hooper is in line to start Thursday against the Buccaneers, ESPN's Vaughn McClure reports.
Hooper, the Falcons' third-round pick, is a speedy runner who has displayed above-average receiving skills thus far into his brief professional career, as evidenced by his 100 percent catch rate across 11 targets. With only the blocking-oriented Levine Toilolo and undrafted rookie Joshua Perkins slotted behind him on the depth chart, Hooper projects as Atlanta's primary receiving threat from the tight end position. However, those interested in picking him up should note the Bucs haven't allowed a tight end to score this season as well as that Tamme himself only received about two targets per game over the past five weeks, never topping 19 receiving yards.