T.J. Hockenson was drafted by the Detroit Lions with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. It was a move that has the fans in Detroit excited about their offense again. They have been searching for a true threat at the tight end position for awhile and Hockenson should provide Matthew Stafford with a consistent and dominant target.
Standing in at 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, Hockenson is a huge target for the Lions to utilize. Detroit needed another threat in the passing game with Golden Tate now gone after being traded in the middle of the season last year.
Last season with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Hockenson ended up catching 49 passes for 760 yards and six touchdowns. He also scored a touchdown on the ground. Hockenson was one of the two first-round tight ends that came out of Iowa this year, with Noah Fant being the other.
Detroit will be asking a lot from Hockenson in his rookie season. The Lions are not usually viewed as a contender, but they are hoping to prove the NFL wrong. In order to shock the league, Detroit will need their offense to take the next step.
While Hockenson is without question capable of shouldering a large workload as a rookie, there are a few things that fans may not know about him.
Let's dive in and take a look at three things fans should know about the new Lions' offensive weapon.
3. Hockenson Is a Massive Disney Fan
That's right, the new weapon for the Lions is a massive fan of Disney movies. He was actually wearing Disney themed socks during the NFL Draft. It fit well, as “The Lion King” is his favorite movie.
In fact, Hockenson even named his dog after a Disney character. His dog, Lilo, is named after the famous movie, Lilo and Stitch. Many fans likely have this in common with Hockenson and it helps show what he enjoys doing away from the gridiron.
2. If Hockenson Wasn't Playing Football, He Might Just Be Playing Golf
Secondly, Hockenson is a big fan of multiple sports and loves to hit the links when he gets the chance. He has always been a huge fan of golf and still finds time to play 18 holes whenever he gets the chance.
The state of Michigan loves the game of golf as well, which should help Hockenson fit right in. He is going to be much busier now with preparing for his NFL career, but he will find a way to keep his game up to par. Yes, that pun was intended.
1. He Has Received Comparisons to Some of the Best Tight Ends in the Game
Finally, the Lions have to feel very good about the comparisons that they are seeing for their new tight end. Coming out of college, Hockenson has been compared to some of the best tight ends currently in the league. NFL.com listed his best comparison as Kansas City Chiefs' star Travis Kelce.
Perhaps the most impressive comparison that he has received is to recently retired New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski. Matt Patricia has to love seeing that comparison. Hockenson has a lot of work to do to live up to those comparisons, but it certainly looks good on his early resume.
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