Detroit Lions: T.J. Hockenson lands on NFL’s top 100 list
By Bob Heyrman
The Detroit Lions star tight end, T.J. Hockenson, came in 93rd on the NFL’s top 100 countdown prior to the start of the 2021 NFL season Sunday evening.
It’s great to see the Detroit Lions finally getting national recognition for someone not named Matthew Stafford. Sure, Stafford has moved on, and the organization continues to receive some unique recognition, usually surrounding head coach Dan Campbell and his ongoing comical antics.
The Lions drafted the 24-year old Hockenson with the no. 8 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he’s been nothing but sensational for the organization. He’s weathered the unwarranted criticism regarding his draft position at the time of his selection, often being compared to former Lion Eric Ebron.
If you have not realized this yet, Hockenson is a far better all-around tight end than Ebron, and there was never a doubt he would be.
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Ebron was a hyper-athletic tight end and was projected to be a weapon in the passing game but wouldn’t prove to be a valuable blocking tight end. Ebron also had a horrible case of the ‘drops’ with the Lions. Hockenson is the whole package, a complete tight end similar to George Kittle and Travis Kelce.
Detroit Lions’ tight end, T.J. Hockenson, is a top-four talent at his position.
I expect Hockenson will be a top-four tight end in the NFL moving forward, and he’s already a top-three all-around player at his position. In addition to the two others that I just mentioned, I’d put Darren Waller in the conversation of the top-four tight ends currently playing.
Hockenson burst onto the scene as a rookie, but his season was cut short due to a leg injury. Still, he really established himself as a premier tight end in year two recording 67 receptions totaling 723 yards and six touchdowns last season.
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I expect more of the same from the talented playmaker with Jared Goff under center moving forward. Goff loves to check the football down to his tight ends, and Hockenson should see a plethora of targets off of offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn’s play-action play-calling.