Vikings Benefit from Exceptional Trade for TE TJ Hockenson
LeeAnn Lowman
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The holidays came early for the Minnesota Vikings as they benefit from an exceptional trade with the Detroit Lions for tight end TJ Hockenson.
Trade Details – Who Wins?
In a rare move that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has somewhat normalized, the division rival Detroit Lions traded their former first-round draft pick from 2019. The Vikings gave up a 2024 second-round pick and a 2024 3rd-round pick. In exchange, they got Hockenson, a 2023 4th round pick, and a conditional 2024 4th round pick (will be a 5th round pick if Vikings make the playoffs).
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While both teams benefit, the Vikings come out winners in this deal. In 4 seasons with the Lions Hockenson has 186 receptions for 2,058 yards and 15 touchdowns. This season, through 7 games, he has 26 receptions for 395 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2020.
The Nitty Gritty
Hockenson will fill a void in the Vikings offense left by the recent injury to Irv Smith Jr. However, comparing Smith to Hockenson is like apples and oranges.
Smith has been plagued with injuries for the past year and a half. His performance has suffered because of it. Even when Smith is not injured Hockenson has ranked higher than Smith, according to PFF. The Vikings have been missing having a powerhouse of a TE since trading Tyler Conklin to the Jets during the off-season.
Financially this deal makes sense for the Lions who are now shifting their focus to 2023 and stacking up as many draft picks as they can get. For the Vikings part, the cap hit is just $536k for the rest of the season.
It gives the Vikings a chance to assess his performance with the team and decide what to do in the future. They can either extend him this off-season, allow him to play during 2023 and then decide to franchise tag him, offer him a new deal or let him go for a compensatory pick. It really is a very low-risk, high-reward situation for Minnesota.
Future Potential
Hockenson has the ability to make a big impact in Minnesota. He will be sharing the workload with blocking TE Johnny Mundt, but Hockenson should easily become TE1. He is the missing piece of what has been a strong offense this season. Kirk Cousins now has a full complement of weapons to utilize.
With Hockenson lining up alongside the likes of Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson defenses are going to have a difficult time covering everyone. He has shown he has the ability to stretch the field and can give the Vikings passing game a serious boost.
Earlier this season he had an 81-yard catch against the Seahawks and just last week against the Dolphins he had a 58-yard catch and run. On top of that, he is also an insane blocker, allowing them more opportunities to run the ball. This gives the Vikings an upgrade both in the passing game and in the run game.
This kind of aggressive trade is exactly what the Vikings needed. Mensah has spoken about Minnesota’s “aggressive rebuild” and we continue to see that in action. He is shown that he has his eyes on the prize – both now and in the future.
Instead of trying to hodgepodge together a bunch of random players the Vikings GM is carefully curating a solid team that will stay together through 2023. With the Vikings being 6-1 and leading the division, fans are hopeful for the future. Trades like this show the fans that the front office is serious about making a run for the Lombardi.