Detroit Lions: Did we just see Motown’s 2019 top pick?

So when all is said and done, the real question is; does T.J. Hockenson make sense at the eighth pick? I know that most Lions fans are screaming at their laptop now saying, ‘No, no no!’ But when you acknowledge the benefits of adding a player like Hockenson to the Lions tight end group, it more than makes an argument to consider the possibility.

After the combine finishes tomorrow, Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia and the rest of the Lions staff will reconvene and discuss what they have learned during the combine. They will then reset their draft board accordingly.

Will it put Hockenson at the top or near the top of their board? The answer is that those of us who aren’t in that room don’t know for sure. We also need to keep in mind that whatever occurs in free agency will affect which direction the Lions will go when they are on the clock.

I don’t think there is any question about whether the Lions brass likes Hockenson or not. Anytime you see a player at a position of need that can do everything very well, there’s interest. It’s pretty much that simple.

What its really about is whether the value is there. There are a number of NFL player personnel evaluators that continue to get higher on Hockenson, yet to me, the number eight position is too high for him.

I also think that considering how deep the tight end position is that the Lions could certainly still find a keeper in the second or even third round. Players like UCLA’s Caleb Wilson, Jace Sternberger of Texas A&M, Kaden Smith of Stanford and LSU’s Foster Moreau are all players that would have an opportunity to contribute from day one.

The Lions may purge their top defensive needs in free agency, but I still say that the defensive playmakers at the top of the draft are too good to bypass. If the Lions should decide they are satisfied with their haul in free agency and really want to go for a tight end, then I say they should trade down and get one where the value is better.

Does that mean they may miss out on Hockenson? Possibly, but if they are around the middle of the first round after trading down, then they would most likely still have an opportunity at Noah Fant or Irv Smith, which aren’t bad consolation prizes.

We still have plenty of time before the draft and much will be determined by what happens between now and then, but it would not be a surprise to see the Lions shopping for a tight end in the draft. It’s just a matter of whether it will be with the number eight pick or later.