ESPN snubs Harrison Smith, ranks TJ Hockenson too low in position rankings
Yearly positional rankings are starting to drop now that Training Camp season is approaching, and there are two Vikings players that fans will think deserve higher praise on ESPN's latest lists.
NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler is revealing the broadcaster's positional rankings over the next several days, and TJ Hockenson and Harrison Smith fans have caused to argue with the views of the NFL execs, coaches and scouts whose opinions inform the final positions.
Despite finishing with the second most receptions and receiving yards among tight ends in 2022, Vikings tight end TJ Hockenson was ranked as the sixth best tight end heading into the 2023 season.
Meanwhile Harrison Smith, arguably a future Hall of Famer, wasn't ranked at all among the Top 10 Safeties in the NFL.
In the tight end list, the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce predictably took the top spot, with the 49ers George Kittle ranked second. Baltimore's Mark Andrews came in third while the Eagles' Dallas Goedert and the Giants' Darren Waller come in at fourth and fifth ahead of Hockenson.
According to ESPN, one NFL exec said about Hockenson: "He's a good player but nothing dynamic to him in the pass game and average in the run game. He's the classic case of a player that does everything well but nothing exceptional."
Outside of Hockenson's receiving numbers, his situation is better than at least three of the players above him. Hockenson is the second receiving option in the Vikings pass-first offense.
Only Kelce is considered the undisputed No. 1 target in his offense in 2023. While Andrews was the first option in the Ravens offense in 2022, this could change after Baltimore bolstered its receiving corps in the offseason, Goedert was easily the third target in the Eagles offense with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith ahead of him.
Waller has the chance to be Daniel Jones' No. 1 target in New York but his injury history could hamper those planes, the former Raiders tight end has missed 14 games over the past two seasons.
Another NFL official told ESPN that Hockenson is a "really dynamic route runner with speed, size, quickness – attacks football in the air and has some better yards after the catch than given credit for. Decent blocker, three-down-impact player."
The blocking portion of Hockenson's game is where he most likely falls down the pecking order. Hockenson finished 2022 with a 58.2 run blocking grade. according to PFF. That's good for 24th among qualifying tight ends, yet still above Waller and Goedert.
While Hockenson at least made the tight ends list, Vikings safety Harrison Smith was left off the safeties rankings entirely. Not even an 'Honorable Mention' or 'Also Receiving Votes' nod for the NFL's joint active career interceptions leader.
Smith, 33, tied his career high for interceptions in 2022, albeit the rest of his play dropped off in what was a poor year all-around for the Vikings defense.
According to PFF, Smith saw all of his grades drop off in 2022 pretty significantly from the 2021 season.
Defensive grade - (2021) 77.9 | (2022) 68.4
Run Defense grade - ('21) 74.0 | ('22) 64.0)
Tackling grade - ('21) 86.2 | ('22) 78.5
Pass rush grade - ('21) 60.6 | ('22) 55.4
Coverage grade - ('21) 81.8 | ('22) 69.1
Outside of his injury shortened 2013 season, Smith set career lows in Defensive, Run Defense and Pass Rush grades in 2022. Last season was also the first time in his career (again, outside of the 2013 season) that Smith failed to record even half a sack.
Safety play is far more subjective than tight end play due to the various different ways the position is played based on the type of defense being run but not having a near Hall of Fame safety on the list at all is a surefire snub.
