Is T.J. Hockenson "Gronk" 2.0?

Former NFL scout Daniel Kelly dives into whether or not T.J. Hockenson can become "Gronk" 2.0

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia are no strangers to great players at tight end. 

During their time in New England, players like Aaron Hernandez and "The Gronk," Rob Gronkowski, were hugely productive. 

Now, one can only wonder if Detroit's very own T.J. Hockenson can become Gronk 2.0. 

Despite the hype surrounding Hockenson heading into this season, in my eyes, he did not earn a blue-chip grade last season. 

However, he sure did burst onto the scene, and made a strong impression on me, as I put together a Lions advance scouting report for my audition with Bruce Allen of the then-Washington Redskins.

Hockenson caught my attention. There was something about him that struck me. 

As a professional evaluator, the greatest compliment I can ever give a rookie is to say he looked like a veteran. That is how I described Hockenson as I watched him play. 

In my comprehensive Lions team report, prior to the Washington game in Week 12 last season, I mentioned that Washington needed to be very aware of Hockenson. 

He was someone who was increasingly becoming a go-to target.

Hockenson was also someone who was showing the ability to stretch the field. 

He's lanky, and looks like an overgrown wide receiver who can run and get down the seams. 

I was also impressed by the fact that Hockenson struck me as a complete tight end, meaning he was not just a one-trick pony who is a receiving threat. 

He was someone who could block effectively, and showed that aggressive streak to be able to do so.

Hockenson absolutely looked the part in 2019. 

My only big question mark on Hockenson is I want to see him be able to haul in a higher percentage of passes that are thrown in his direction. 

That to me is the only part of his game that needs to be cleaned up. That is what is keeping him in the "B" grade range. 

Hockenson was targeted 59 times last season, but he only came away with 32 grabs. 

That has got to get better for him to be mentioned in the same breath as one of the best tight ends in the National Football League. 

I think we are going to see more production out of Hockenson in 2020. 

I believe he is poised to have a breakout season, if he can become more sure-handed. 

One critical piece of information that gives me real optimism is coming out of college, Hockenson had the lowest drop rate of any tight end in his draft class, per Pro Football Focus.

That tells me, it is in him.

Detroit Lions Tight End T.J. Hockenson / Kirthmon F. Dozier, Imagn Content Services, LLC

2019 games evaluated: 9/8 vs. AZ, 9/15 vs. LAC, 9/22 vs, PHI, 10/14 vs. GB, 10/27 vs. NYG, 11/3 vs. OAK, 11/10 vs. CHI and 11/17 vs. DAL. 

TE #88 T.J. Hockenson - 6-foot-5, 247 pounds (starter) 

Grade: B (Good player, but not elite; good enough to win with, however)

Scouting Report 

Productive with his size, speed and natural ability for the position. Looks like a tight end. Productive both as a receiver and as a blocker. Showed the ability to run short and intermediate routes. Has decent speed to stretch defenses and get downfield. Fluid strider. Legitimate target downfield. Big target. Can catch it in a crowd. Snatches it with his hands, but then dropped a few. Showed he can pick up some tough, hard-earned yards after the catch. Determined, and plays with some emotion. 

They are looking to him more and more on a regular basis in this offense -- currently fourth on the team in receptions and is the leading non-wide receiver on the team. 

As a run blocker, he was solid. Looks to hold the point or leverage block with body positioning. Aggressive nature comes out from time to time while run-blocking. Lost about as many times as he won, in terms of grading. Gives effort. 

He’s someone to be aware of in the passing game. Legitimate ability. A rookie who feels like and plays like a veteran.

Being a high first-rounder comes with high hopes and high expectations. 

Quinn deserves credit for selecting Hockenson. Grabbing a tight end that high is not glamorous, but it shows that Quinn also has not gotten too far away from his roots in New England. 

My personal feeling is that Hockenson was getting his "sea legs" under him last year. And in this season and in many after this, he will become more and more comfortable and settled into Detroit's offense. 

When I think of Hockenson, I am reminded when a young tight end on Indianapolis made a strong impression on me in his rookie season. His name: Dallas Clark. 

I also can see some Mark Bavaro in him. I watched Bavaro play for the Giants growing up. 

With my background in the NFL, I often get asked by a lot of people if I play fantasy football. I typically respond by saying I cannot find enough time to play. And on top of that, I am playing the ultimate fantasy football, so to speak ... I am trying to become an NFL GM myself.

Still, scores of people who do play fantasy football end up asking me on just about every podcast I am on who they should draft or if there are any sleepers out there for their fantasy team. For me, grab Hockenson, and hope the ankle holds up. 

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