Vikings Roster Countdown: No. 87 T.J. Hockenson — Extension Coming Soon?

Hockenson was a perfect fit in the Vikings' offense after coming over in a midseason trade.

Author:
Will Ragatz
Publish date:
Jul 12, 2023 6:37 PM EDT

In this story:

Ahead of the Vikings' 2023 training camp beginning in late July, we'll be taking a look at every player on the 90-man roster, counting down from 99 to 0 (excluding the UDFAs, who we already profiled). For every player, we'll look at the best and worst-case scenarios and their realistic outlook for the upcoming season.

No. 87: T.J. Hockenson, TE

Age: 26 | Size: 6'5", 248

Jan 8, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) walks off the field after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. — Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

When Irv Smith Jr. went down with an injury in late October last year, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a big move to acquire a massive upgrade as his replacement. Adofo-Mensah sent two Day 2 picks to the division-rival Lions for former No. 8 overall pick T.J. Hockenson and two lower picks. Less than a week after joining his new team, Hockenson caught nine passes for 70 yards in a win over the Commanders.

That wasn't a fluke. Hockenson caught 70 passes for 648 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games with the Vikings, including playoffs. That's a 17-game pace of roughly 1,000 yards. Highlighting his first season in Minnesota were two dominant games against the Giants: a 13-109-2 outing on Christmas Eve and a 10-129 performance in his postseason debut.

Hockenson was a perfect fit alongside Justin Jefferson in Kevin O'Connell's offense. Now with a full offseason as a Viking, the 26-year-old two-time Pro Bowler should only continue to ascend. A lucrative contract extension is likely on the way before the season begins, as Hockenson is currently entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Best-case scenario: Hockenson gets $16-17 million per year on a new deal and lives up to it in a big way, recording a 90-1,200-8 season in 2023. With Josh Oliver added as the Vikings' primary blocking TE, Hockenson is free to focus on being the No. 2 target in the passing game for Kirk Cousins.

Worst-case scenario: It's still possible that the two sides can't work out a deal and Hockenson walks in free agency after this year. On the field, perhaps he regresses a bit as a focal point for defenses and only ends up with 700-800 yards. And as with any player, a serious injury would be the true worst-case scenario.

Outlook for 2023: Based on his play with the Vikings after the trade last year, Hockenson deserves to become one of the league's highest-paid tight ends. He's a quality route-runner who can elevate for contested catches and even make things happen after the catch. He's not an elite blocker, which is why the Vikings brought in Oliver to become more versatile with their personnel groupings. They'll run a lot of two-TE sets this year and Hockenson has a great chance to finish second on the team in every receiving stat, even with Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn also being heavily involved in the offense.

Previous Vikings player profiles

UDFAs