Vikings Star Gets His Flowers from PFF
Throughout his young career, T.J. Hockenson has been one of the most talented tight ends in the NFL.
Particularly since being traded by the Detroit Lions to the Minnesota Vikings, Hockenson has played a crucial role in Minnesota’s passing offense. As a result of his stellar production, the Vikings star was listed as the fourth-best player at the position by Pro Football Focus.
Vikings Star Gets His Flowers from PFF
Last week, PFF writer John Kosko put together his rankings of the top-32 tight ends in the NFL, and Hockenson landed at that No. 4 spot. Kosko had this to say of the Vikings tight end:
“When the Lions traded Hockenson, the former Iowa Hawkeye was considered a good but often injured and inconsistent tight end. A move to Minnesota was the jolt he needed, as he instantly became one of the best receiving threats in the game. Hockenson’s 82.4 receiving grade in 2023 was third-best in the NFL.”
While it’s very true that Hockenson managed to dodge the injury bug for the majority of his first 1.5 seasons with the Vikings, his 2023 season was cut short because of a torn ACL and MCL that could cut into his playing time in 2024.
The injury occurred on Christmas Eve during Minnesota’s Week 16 matchup with Hockenson’s old team, the Detroit Lions. As we get closer to the 2024 season, the most recent reports have suggested that the tight end could be a candidate for the PUP list, thus making him inactive for the first six weeks of the season.
Even still, that injury did not stop Hockenson from putting together a fantastic season. He finished the year with 95 receptions for 960 yards and five touchdowns. Those 95 receptions led all tight ends last season and tied Hockenson for the 14th-most among all players in the NFL alongside Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
With Justin Jefferson suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5, and then Kirk Cousins going down with an Achilles tear shortly thereafter in Week 8, Hockenson proved to be a stabilizing presence for Minnesota’s offense throughout the year.
As a result, this high praise is well warranted, and hopefully, Hockenson can return the field better than ever in 2024.
The tight end placed behind only George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Mark Andrews, who took the podium with the 1-3 spots.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
