Getty T.J. Hockenson makes a play on Thanksgiving.
For years, the Detroit Lions have struggled to put much young talent into the NFL, but finally, that narrative looks to be shifting a bit.
Not only do the Lions have the makings of a quality offensive line, the team has young pieces on defense and at a few of the skill positions on offense. One of those spots features a player some expect to become one of the next big things in the league in due time.
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T.J. Hockenson has enjoyed a decent start to his career, but he might now start to take over as a player who makes a serious run at elite status. Recently, NFL.com writer Dan Parr took a look at the top players at each position who are 25 years or younger in the league. At tight end, Hockenson was the choice thanks to his obvious talent.
Parr wrote:
“Our options at tight end were fairly thin, so why not go with a 2020 Pro Bowler? Hockenson enjoyed a relative breakout in 2020, finishing third in receiving yards among tight ends behind established stars Travis Kelce and Darren Waller. Lions tight ends coach Ben Johnson thinks it’s just the beginning for the 2019 draft’s eighth overall pick, recently telling reporters “there’s plenty of meat still on the bone” with Hockenson, and adding that “the sky’s the limit for this kid.” What is, in fact, the limit for Hockenson? We’ll leave that to the future, but for now, he’s the best tight end under 25, and it might not be long before he’s considered one of the premier players at the position, regardless of age.”
That’s lofty praise for Hockenson all things considered, so it will be fun to see if he can live up to the hype starting this season. Hockenson is putting the work in himself, considering the fact that he has worked out with both Jared Goff and George Kittle this offseason.
Will it get him over the hump? He’s obviously one of the top pass catchers on the team, so that is very possible.
Hockenson’s Career Stats
While Hockenson hasn’t had the most dramatic statistical impact thus far in his career, it’s true that he has easily been one of the team’s top rookies in 2019 and 2020 and a player capable of impacting both the run and the passing games.
During the season last year, many fans were upset with Hockenson for not making a bigger impact on the game. He had only 367 yards and 2 touchdowns on the year which is not the statistical impact that many people expected from him as a top 10 selection for the team. 2020 was a major bounce back from that, though, and Hockenson put up 723 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Hockenson Named a Potential Breakout Star
Obviously, Hockenson is going to find himself on plenty of these lists given what he’s done thus far in his career. While the Lions have several notable roster holes that every fan knows about this offseason, they also have young talent at a few spots where the team could theoretically have some top talents in the league. On the offensive side of the ball, quietly, Detroit might have one of the league’s best breakout stars in the form of Hockenson.
According to Pro Football Focus, Hockenson is trending to become the next elite tight end in the NFL, and have a major breakout season come 2021. The site recently made this bold prediction for the future.
T.J. Hockenson will be the next elite tight end 🤖🚀
Hockenson’s solid play culminated in a Pro Bowl invite, and it’s possible that might only be the beginning for the tight end in terms of his future. Hockenson trained with George Kittle this past offseason, and it’s possible that the tight end taught him plenty tricks of the trade in terms of getting to the next level.
Some might even say he’s on the road to becoming elite thanks to this and is one of the best young players in the whole game.
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