It sent shockwaves around the league when the Detroit Lions traded away their star tight end to an in-division rival, the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions believed T.J. Hockenson, who was often injured, had somewhat plateaued, but that move was exactly what the former Iowa Hawkeye needed.
Even after being injured last season against Detroit in December, Hockenson is coming off of a career year in which he caught 95 passes for 960 yards and five scores. The current expectation is that Hockenson could miss the first six weeks of the 2024 season as he is still recovering from the ACL injury.
But the injury didn’t stop Pro Football Focus from ranking the Vikings’ star tight end in the top five of the tight end power rankings.
PFF ranked Hockenson as the fourth-best tight end heading into 2024.
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.
When healthy, Hockenson, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Addison will be a lethal threat in the passing game for whoever the Vikings start at quarterback this season.
