The Minnesota Vikings made a great and franchise-altering move when they traded multiple day two picks for tight end T.J. Hockenson.
The player that they were getting is the exact prototype that head coach Kevin O’Connell wants in this offense: an inline blocker that is also able to split out wide and take advantage of coverage with his size and skill.
The interesting element about Hockenson is that his blocking was relatively subpar with the Lions. Since then, he has shown some real improvement according to PFF.
Checking back in on this take…
TJ Hockenson run block grade weeks 1-8 in DET: 48.3, ranking 58 out of 74 TEs
TJ Hockenson run block grade weeks 9-13 in MIN: 68.4, 9th-best out of 74 TEs https://t.co/AHz129pJft
— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) December 6, 2022
As Nick Olson points out, the system makes a big impact here, but it’s also coaching and a change of scenery. He has shown some really good blocking prowess and technique but it hasn’t been consistent.
Against the New York Jets, I identified four plays that show just where Hockenson is at as a blocker.