 Hockenson in 2019 | |||||||||
| No. 87 – Minnesota Vikings | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Tight end | ||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1997-07-03)July 3, 1997 (age 28) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Chariton (Chariton, Iowa) | ||||||||
| College | Iowa (2016–2018) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2019: 1st round, 8th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||
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Thomas James Hockenson (born July 3, 1997) is an American professionalfootballtight end for theMinnesota Vikings of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theIowa Hawkeyes, where he earned theJohn Mackey Award, as the nation's top tight end in college football. Hockenson was selected in the first round (eighth overall) of the2019 NFL draft by theDetroit Lions.
Hockenson grew up inCherokee, Iowa and moved toChariton, Iowa in his teenage years, where he attendedChariton High School and playedfootball andbasketball. Hockenson was a four-year letter winner as atight end anddefensive back and set school records for receiving yards in a game, season, and career. He led his team to the state playoffs as a senior and was named all-state first team that year.[1] Hockenson was rated as a three-star recruit and the seventh-highest rated recruit in the state of Iowa in the class of 2016 by the247Sports.com Composite, which aggregates the ratings of the major football recruiting services.[2] He committed to theIowa Hawkeyes on June 20, 2015.[3]
Hockensonredshirted his true freshman year in 2016. He was one of two tight ends in the starting lineup in Iowa's 2017 opener againstWyoming, along withNoah Fant. Hockenson recorded his first career receptions the next week against Iowa State, finishing with two catches for 41 yards in the game.[1] He had his best game of the year in Iowa's upset victory over then-No. 3Ohio State, where Hockenson led the team with five receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns.[4] He ultimately finished fifth on the team on the year with 24 receptions for 320 yards and three receiving touchdowns.[5]
Hockenson was listed on the preseason watch list for theJohn Mackey Award going into the 2018 season, as was teammate Noah Fant.[6] In an early season loss to rivalWisconsin, Hockenson set a career high with 125 receiving yards, including a 46-yard connection from quarterback Nate Stanley.[7] He again eclipsed the 100-yard mark in an October 13 game againstIndiana, where Hockenson recorded four receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns.[8] He ultimately finished the season with 46 receptions for 717 yards and six touchdowns, leading the Hawkeyes in the first two categories and finishing one receiving touchdown behind Fant for the team lead. Hockenson was named first-teamAll-Big Ten Conference at tight end by the media voters, and second-team behind Fant by the coaches. Hockenson also won the Big Ten's tight end of the year award, theKwalick–Clark Award.[9] Hockenson was awarded theJohn Mackey Award, honoring him as the top tight end in college football in 2018.[10] Hockenson is the second Hawkeye to receive the award, afterDallas Clark in 2002, and the first sophomore.[11][12]
On January 14, 2019, Hockenson announced viaTwitter that he would be leaving school early to declare for the2019 NFL draft.[13]
| Iowa Hawkeyes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Receiving | Rushing | |||||||
| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2016 |  Redshirt | ||||||||
| 2017 | 24 | 320 | 13.3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 46 | 717 | 15.6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | |
| Totals[14] | 70 | 1,037 | 14.8 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+3⁄4 in (1.95 m) | 251 lb (114 kg) | 32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.70 s | 1.64 s | 2.75 s | 4.18 s | 7.02 s | 37.5 in (0.95 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | 17 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[15] | ||||||||||||
Hockenson was selected by theDetroit Lions in the first round as the eighth overall pick in the2019 NFL draft.[16] On May 9, 2019, he signed a four-year deal with the Lions worth $19.8 million.[17]
Hockenson made his regular season debut on September 8, 2019, against theArizona Cardinals. He finished the game with six receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown as the game ended in a 27–27 tie. Hockenson's 131 yards set an NFL record for the most by a tight end in a debut.[18] Three weeks later against theKansas City Chiefs, he caught three passes for 27 yards and a touchdown before exiting the game with aconcussion. Without Hockenson, the Lions lost 34–30.[19] He was placed oninjured reserve on December 2, 2019.[20]
Hockenson finished his rookie year with 32 receptions for 367 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games and seven starts.[21]
Hockenson was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Lions on July 29, 2020,[22] and was activated 10 days later.[23] He made his return from injury in Week 1 against theChicago Bears. Hockenson caught five passes for 56 yards and his first touchdown of the season as the Lions lost 27–23.[24] During a Week 7 matchup against theAtlanta Falcons, Hockenson caught the game-winning touchdown pass fromMatthew Stafford as time expired, giving the Lions their third victory of the season.[25] On December 21, 2020, Hockenson was named to the2021 Pro Bowl.[26]
Hockenson finished his second season with 67 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games and starts.[27]
Hockenson entered the 2021 season as the Lions starting tight end. He was placed on injured reserve on December 17, 2021, after undergoing thumb surgery.[28] Hockenson finished the 2021 season with 61 catches for 583 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games and starts.[29]
The Lions picked up the fifth-year option on Hockenson's contract on April 26, 2022.[30] During Week 4 against theSeattle Seahawks, Hockenson set the all-time Lions record for receiving yards in a game by a tight end, gaining 179 yards on eight receptions in the 48–45 loss. This broke the record of 161 yards set byJim Gibbons on December 13, 1964.[31]
On November 1, 2022, the Lions traded Hockenson along with a 2023 fourth-round draft pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round draft pick (fifth if the Vikings had won a playoff game in 2022; but they lost to theNew York Giants in the Wild Card) to theMinnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round draft pick.[32] Hockenson finished the 2022 season with 86 receptions for 914 yards and six touchdowns over his time with the Lions and Vikings.[33]
On August 31, 2023, Hockenson signed a four-year, $63.5 million contract extension with the Vikings.[34]
On December 27, 2023, Hockenson was placed on the injured reserve list after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in a Week 16 game against the Lions the previous Sunday.[35][36] He finished the 2023 season with 95 receptions for 960 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games and 11 starts.[37]
Hockenson was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list to begin the 2024 season, sidelining him for the first four games.[38] Hockenson was activated on October 25.[39]
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2019 | DET | 12 | 7 | 32 | 367 | 11.5 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | DET | 16 | 16 | 67 | 723 | 10.8 | 51 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | DET | 12 | 12 | 61 | 583 | 9.6 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | DET | 7 | 7 | 26 | 395 | 15.2 | 81 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| MIN | 10 | 7 | 60 | 519 | 8.7 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2023 | MIN | 15 | 11 | 95 | 960 | 10.1 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | MIN | 10 | 9 | 41 | 455 | 11.1 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | MIN | 15 | 15 | 51 | 438 | 8.6 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 97 | 84 | 433 | 4,440 | 10.3 | 81 | 26 | 3 | 3 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2022 | MIN | 1 | 1 | 10 | 129 | 12.9 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | MIN | 1 | 0 | 5 | 64 | 12.8 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 2 | 1 | 15 | 193 | 12.9 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
