Football Outsiders Highlights T.J. Hockenson's Biggest Weakness

Tight end T.J. Hockenson must find a way to earn more yards after the catch in 2022.

Author:
John Maakaron
Updated:
Jul 13, 2022 4:43 PM EDT
Original:
Jul 13, 2022

In this story:

Both the Detroit Lions and tight end T.J. Hockenson are aware he is not yet a finished product.

Second-year Lions head coach Dan Campbell would like for the talented tight end to win when he is expected to get open, and for his run-blocking to drastically improve.

“He’ll tell you that, too, that he’s still got room to grow, even in there, in the run-blocking for us,” he said. “I think he takes that next step, on top of continuing to improve in the pass game. But, yeah, I think he still has more room to grow.”

This week, Football Outsiders, an advanced metrics site, highlighted what many believe to be the 25-year-old's biggest weakness -- securing yards after the catch.

Writer Bryan Knowles explained what the measurement "YAC+" is intended to estimate.

“YAC+ estimates how much YAC a receiver gained compared to what we would have expected from an average receiver catching passes of similar length in similar down-and-distance situations,” Knowles explained.

Among the 55 qualified tight ends, Hockenson finished 49th in YAC+, as he averaged -1.1 YAC+.

The concerns about Hockenson falling to the ground too soon are indeed valid, as the statistical measurement indicates he averages over a yard less than expected on every reception.

In 2021, Hockenson finished the season with 61 receptions for 583 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games played.

Detroit general manager Brad Holmes decided to pick up his fifth-year option, worth $9.4 million, in 2023, but could still secure the former first-round pick to a long-term contract extension.

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