The Pick is in... and with the number 8 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, the Detroit Football Lions select T.J. Hockenson, Tight End from Iowa.
This is the prediction I made and for once on this here blog of mine I was right. With this pick the team has finally moved on from Eric Ebron and embraced its destiny as the new New England Patriots. Matthew Stafford now has a weapon that will be catching pass from him for years to come and the team finally has a good all around and reliable tight end that can not only catch the football but block as well. T.J. also come from Iowa which runs a NFL style offense so as a result his transition to the pro level should be quicker than normal for a rookie tight end. Above all I believe this pick will result in the Lions running two tight ends sets much more often which will help not only the passing game but the run game as well. The team may even make the two tight end (also known as a 12 man formation) their base starting offense at some point in the season.
Because I shouldn't do a reaction without giving a grade I will give a grade here.
I give the T.J. Hockenson Pick by the Detroit Lions an A.
Looking to Day two:
There are a lot of first round quality talent that fell to the second round including a corner that many mocked to the Lions in the first at number 8. I would like to go over a few note worthy ones that the team will be looking at in the second round and perhaps the 3rd round as well.
According to this Lions Wire article form today, there are plenty of options for the team to take in the second round. I am looking at the outside corner position opposite of Slay as the next target for Lions general manager Bob Quinn to target in the second round tonight. Looking at the list linked to above I see Byron Murphy, Justin Layne, David Long, Greedy Williams, Amani Oruwariye and Sean Bunting still on the board heading into the second round. I do not expect Murphy to still be there for the Lions at the 11th pick (43rd pick overall) as he should go very early in the second round. I do think there is a good chance that Williams could fall to the Lions thought and considering he was mocked to the team by some, getting Greedy in the second would be a nice move (maybe even a steal). Regardless I am expecting the team to take one of the mentioned corner backs in thew second round. Since I should make a prediction I will go with Greedy Williams to the Lions in the second round (unless the team executes a trade which in that case, throw everything out the window).
Moving to the 3rd round I sense that the team will go either defensive lineman or linebacker and the name that has stuck with me for months now is that of Christian Miller form Alabama who is expected to go somewhere on day two and can play outside as an edge rusher or as a linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. Needless to say I am very much looking forward to tonight to see just how wrong (or perhaps right) I will end up being.
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