Getty T.J. Hockenson before a Lions game against the Ravens in 2021.
The Detroit Lions made the tough choice to move on from T.J. Hockenson this week, a decision that was certainly polarizing given what it represented to the team.
With Hockenson out, the Lions are now once again admitting that they are committed to a rebuild, even though general manager Brad Holmes may not have wanted to admit that fully when discussing the move.
Detroit got a second-round pick in 2023 and a third-round pick in 2024 for Hockenson, and at this point, grading the deal has become the biggest focus for many pundits. So how did the Lions do? Some think the team did well, while others are decidedly in the other camp.
The Athletic took a closer look at grading the NFL trade deadline for all the participants, and writer Mike Jones had the Lions firmly in the loser camp for the move to trade away their top tight end.
For Jones, the reason to call the team a loser on the deal had less to do with the return, and more to do with the perpetual state of rebuild the team finds itself in once again, which he explained in his recap.
“The Lions have officially thrown in the towel, trading one of their most talented offensive players to a division rival. Yes, the Lions benefit in the form of the second- and third-round picks they received. But they also had to give up two fourth-round picks, and it’s another sign that this team is no closer to turning the corner in Dan Campbell’s second season,” Jones write in the piece.
The Lions do continue to try and rebuild, and spinning Hockenson off for picks makes sense for the team at this juncture, no matter how frustrating of a realization it might represent for the fans.
Detroit is trying to rebuild through the draft, and whether Jones likes it or not, the best way to do that is by collecting picks. Trading Hockenson allowed them to do a good job of that before another offseason.
Will Compton Blasts Lions’ Dealing Hockenson
While many will see that the Lions needed to deal away assets like Hockenson, others aren’t sure it was for the better for the team to do this. Such is the case for Barstool Sports personality and former linebacker Will Compton.
Compton provided his reaction to the Hockenson trade and it was clear he liked it from the Minnesota perspective, but not so much the Detroit perspective.
Year 10 Willy gives his thoughts on the TJ Hockenson trade @_willcompton
“Holy s*** Lions, what are you doing? We’re talking, we might as well be in a Madden league playing a video game given how dudes are stealing. Minnesota stole him,” Compton said. “T.J. Hockenson? One of the better young tight ends in the f**** league. Not only that, it’s not T.J. Hockenson for a 2023 second round pick and a 2024 fourth round pick. No, it’s T.J. Hockenson plus a 2023 fourth round pick plus a 2024 conditional pick. T’s and P’s for Detroit fans. God bless those Detroit fans right now who are putting themselves in some type of spin zone saying this is a good move for the future. Brother you traded away your best knee biter out there. My god.”
The Lions are amid a rebuild, but it’s clear that Compton thinks the team should have held on to Hockenson for the future. As he said, he seems to like the deal from a Vikings perspective, but not Detroit’s. Only time will tell if he’s correct.
Compton would likely agree with Jones’s assessment of the deal from the Detroit end of things.
Why Hockenson Trade Made Sense for Lions
While many don’t seem to like the trade at all or the Lions rebuilding, the fact is, it’s a solid move for a team that is right in the middle of a major roster shift.
Hockenson himself has been a puzzling player. He’s flashed brilliance at times, as in 2020 when he cracked the Pro Bowl or in 2022 when he went for 179 yards and two scores during a game, but he also disappears.
Such inconsistency is not something the Lions were likely to want to spend big on in terms of a contract extension. The team was weighing whether or not to re-sign Hockenson in the coming months, and with this deal, it’s clear they decided not to. It long seemed it could be best for the Lions to cut bait.
Detroit didn’t get a 2023 first-round pick for Hockenson, but they did the next best thing in getting a second and a third in 2023. This move should help them build up their defense in a big way.
With a pair of firsts and a pair of seconds, the Lions now have a measure of control of over the 2023 draft. This is a tantalizing opportunity that it’s clear Brad Holmes understood the magnitude of when he made the move.
Losers because of a rebuild or not, the Lions are trying hard to collect assets to do things the right way. For that end, they deserve a chance to make things work.