TJ Hockenson, Tight End, Iowa. Yes this may seem like a luxury pick for a team with so many holes but as I said in my last piece, the Redskins need star power. Hockenson is a star. He is widely considered to be one the top 5 players in the draft, maybe even the best. However, he falls to 15 because of the position he plays. Tight ends are similar to running backs in the sense that you can find starters and even stars in the later rounds so teams tend to pass on taking them early. I hope the redskins are not one of those teams.

Hockeson is the real deal. He has great hands, is great in the red zone, and great in run pro. Honestly his only weakness is possibly his speed (ran a 4.7 40 in the combine). He led Iowa with 49 catches for 760 yards and 6 touchdowns last year. What stood out to me on the film was his ability to make the big catches under duress. Iowa did not have the best players last year and opposing teams were determined to shut down Hockenson. He was constantly double covered yet he still made play after play. He only has two drops in his entire career. Two! He is a great route runner and is able to create separation in and out of breaks. NFL.com compares him to Travis Kelce but I see Zach Ertz. Both are excellent pass catchers but I see Hockenson as a better route runner than Kelce.

With this pick, the redskins would check off a lot of boxes on offense. The would add the receiver they so desperately need. It would also make the offense more unpredictable. Chris Cooley pointed out that the Redskins would run the ball 99% of the time when they went to a two tight end set with Jeremy Sprinkle in the game. Adding Hockenson would give you the blocking tight end you need on 3rd and short situations and give you that clutch catch on 3rd and long. Also, pairing him with Reed would be a nightmare for defenses.

If Hockenson falls past Green Bay at #12, this would be a slam dunk for the Redskins at #15.

The tape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYSLHLMSOkE