Hockenson or Swift: Who Will Be Lions' Team MVP in 2021?
The Detroit Lions have two key pieces on offense that will be counted on to take steps forward in their respective careers in 2021.
Running back D'Andre Swift, for one, is seeking to put aside the ultimate disappointment of dropping the game-winning touchdown in his NFL debut (Week 1 at Ford Field against the Chicago Bears).
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With the additions of offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn and running backs coach Duce Staley to the coaching staff, the second-year back will certainly be featured heavily in the majority of the season's offensive gameplans.
“He has natural hands," Lynn told reporters. “He’s learning coverage and how to read coverages and sit in zones and run through lanes and things like that. He’s doing good. We can use him in a plethora of ways, in my opinion. I like his skillset so far.”
Swift secured 46 receptions for 357 yards and two touchdowns last season. He also averaged 4.6 yards per carry, and rushed for eight touchdowns.
Swift said he is looking forward to the opportunity of being used more out of the backfield, as he believes he could be a 75-plus-catch player in Detroit's offense.
Meanwhile, tight end T.J. Hockenson is on the verge of becoming one of the league's premier pass catchers, after a solid second campaign in Motown.
In a recent prediction of each team's MVP candidate, NFL.com predicted that Hockenson will be the MVP of the Lions in 2021.
According to NFL writer Dan Hanzus, "T.J. Hockenson's rookie year in 2019 was a frustrating, injury-plagued affair. The former No. 8 overall pick made significant strides in Year 2, earning a Pro Bowl nod for his efforts. Hockenson has the ability to become one of the top playmaking tight ends in football if he can find chemistry with new QB Jared Goff."
Hockenson impressed many with his performance to close out minicamp, and is now poised to become a reliable target for Detroit's new signal-caller Jared Goff.
If all goes according to plan, Swift should be the player to emerge as the team MVP, as he has the capability of becoming an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield.
With the Lions in need of a reliable core of offensive players, Hockenson and Swift both should emerge in 2021 as team leaders in multiple statistical categories.
