Notes: T.J. Hockenson ranked 8th among top TEs of 2022

Detroit’s T.J. Hockenson has landed on a list of the top tight ends in the league.

CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani ranked Hock at No.8 among the best of the best tight ends entering the 2022 season. He points out what I remember seeing a ton of back entering the 2021 season — Hockenson is due for a breakout year.

That seemed to be the case when he caught 16 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns in just two games to start off the season. But that fizzled out a bit—not too bad but not too hot either—and he eventually landed on injured reserve in December, missing the final five games.

“He took a pretty big step backwards as a run blocker in 2021, according to PFF, but was still a reliable target who Jared Goff liked,” the author explains.

He also reached a career high in receiving yards per game, averaging 48.6.

“Hockenson made the Pro Bowl in 2020, and maybe a career campaign is coming in 2022,” Dajani writes. “His best football is ahead of him.”

At just 24 years old, Hockenson still has plenty of football ahead of him. This year could be critical to his future, though, because even though Detroit exercised his fifth-year option for the 2023 season, a poor season could drastically impact contract negotiations. That said, it’s entirely possible Hockenson gets extended before this season even starts, as general manager Brad Holmes told media back in March that internal discussions about Hockenson’s future have already begun.

And onto the rest of your notes.

• Which Detroit Lions draft pick since 2006 provided the most value for the team? You can probably guess who PFF picked.

• Lions owner Sheila Hamp sat down with DetroitLions.com’s reporter Dannie Rogers on the two-year anniversary of assuming the job. It’s a really nice view into the personal life of Hamp:

• The Athletic’s Chris Burke and Nick Baumgardner take a stab at predicting the 53-man roster. ($)

• Detroitlions.com’s Tim Twentyman offers five numbers related to the Lions that need to change in 2022.

• Get to know Jamo a little bit better.