The Detroit Lions traded former top ten pick TJ Hockenson and two fourth round picks to the rival Minnesota Vikings for a second round pick and third round pick at the NFL trade deadline.
Trade talks about Hockenson possibly leaving grew louder over the past few weeks, but the shock of Detroit dealing with an NFC North rival was an interesting call. Last week, Hockenson spoke about wanting to stay in Detroit, but the Lions weren’t willing to pay Hockenson what he felt he was worth.
The main concern with this trade is of course trading him to a team that you will have to play twice a year for the next decade or so. Players that want to stay in Detroit don’t come around often, which makes the deal tough for Lions fans to swallow. On day one of the NFL draft last year, the Lions and Vikings made another trade that saw Detroit select Jameson Williams, but trading picks is much different from trading star players. Many people believe you should never make a trade that helps out your rival, but maybe this was the best offer that they could possibly get.
For Detroit, this situation means the Lions will now have five picks in the top 65 of the draft next year, as the Lions still have two firsts, two seconds and a third round pick. On a team that desperately needs their franchise quarterback, they’re projected to have the number one overall pick, which could lead to them getting one of the top quarterbacks in college football, but the rest could be used to repair a depleted defense as they have the worst defense in the league. Getting four defenders in the second and third rounds could have Detroit in a situation where there’s inexperience, but young talent all around the field. And so far Brad Holmes has made pretty good decisions in Detroit.
For Minnesota, they’re getting a top seven tight end that will now be circling both Lions games each year for revenge. He’ll emerge as a borderline superstar in that passing game, and based on Detroit’s history with seeing stars go to better teams and succeed, Hockenson doesn’t project to be the exception to that rule.
TJ quickly emerged as a fan favorite in Detroit. Across 47 career NFL games, the 25 year old has recorded 186 receptions for 2068 yds, and 15TDs.
Overall, the winner of this trade won’t be clear until fans see who Detroit drafts with their two picks, but as of now, the Vikings have clearly upgraded at the TE position. Hopefully for Detroit this is the step in the right direction as they continue searching for their franchise leader and a surrounding cast.
-Robert Martin
Twitter: @Defense_Rob
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