Vikings

Hockenson Is Already Minnesota's No. 2 Pass-Catcher

Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

With a 6-1 record and a 3.5-game lead in their division, the Minnesota Vikings were expected to be buyers ahead of the Nov. 1 trade deadline. Aside from having interest in acquiring disgruntled Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks, the Vikings weren’t heavily linked to any other big names on the trade market. So when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made the blockbuster move to acquire T.J. Hockenson from the Detroit Lions, it was certainly unexpected.

What was even more unexpected was how quickly Hockenson was able to become a focal point of the Vikings offense. Hockenson led the team with nine receptions and had the second-most receiving yards on the day behind Justin Jefferson. Leading up to the game, Kevin O’Connell mentioned that they wanted to get T.J. involved on third downs, in the red zone, and the two-minute offense. But even they were surprised by how quickly Hockenson adjusted to the new offense.

Hockenson quickly established himself as Minnesota’s No. 2 receiving option. He has brought a whole new dimension to the Vikings’ offense, which very few players in this league can provide. What separates him from guys like Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn is that he’s the kind of player who commands targets because of his talent level. Opposing defenses must account for him at all times.

Such is the case here. In this clip, Kirk Cousins throws a beautiful touchdown pass to Dalvin Cook. But that play doesn’t happen without Hockenson. Washington made it a priority to prevent Hockenson from getting open in the red zone. However, by doing so, they allowed Cook to get a one-on-one matchup that he won on that play.

It doesn’t take a genius to understand why Hockenson is such a threat. The dude is 6’5”, 250 lbs., and runs like a gazelle. He ran a 4.70 at the 40-yard dash, scored in the 84th percentile for the 60-yard shuttle, and is in the 87th percentile for the 20-yard shuttle. He also performed exceptionally well for his position in the broad and vertical jumps, which only further exemplifies just how great of an athlete he is.

Watch this clip. It’s third-and-five on the opening possession, and the Vikings are running trips right out of the shotgun with 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs). Osborn is lined up on the left side of the formation, while Jefferson, Hockenson, and Thielen are all bunched up on the right side of the field. Pay attention to the amount of separation Hockenson can get on this play. When Cousins throws the ball at the five-second mark, you can see that the closest defender to Hockenson is a solid five yards away.

The main reason Hockenson got that much separation was because of Justin Jefferson. There were three defenders sitting in the passing lane underneath Jefferson, which created enough space for Hockenson to find the soft spot in the zone. The big takeaway is that O’Connell is finding ways to manufacture open looks for Hockenson. The proof is in the pudding. Out of the 60 snaps he played, 32 of them came in-line, 19 came from the slot, and he lined up out wide nine times.

Hockenson has an inherent advantage because Cousins has a long history of favoring tight ends in the passing game. On this play, the 6’5” Hockenson occupies the middle of the field, and Cousins throws it high for an easy completion. Hockenson provides a sense of security for Cousins in a way that no one else on the roster can.

He also ranks ninth in the league in YAC per reception, which O’Connell will continue to weaponize.

Before the trade deadline, opposing defenses could double-team Jefferson without much consequence. With Hockenson on the roster, it will be much more difficult to stop the Vikings’ offense because opposing defenses will have to pick their poison. Sell out to stop Jefferson, or sell out to stop Hockenson. It creates a catch-22 scenario and adds a new dimension to the offense, which is exactly why the Vikings traded for him.

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