Repeat after me: T.J. Hockenson is not Eric Ebron

ALLEN PARK – With the eighth pick in the NFL draft, the Detroit Lions chose T.J. Hoc–

The words did not even come out of Roger Goodell's mouth until Detroit Lions fans started killing the pick.

Nooooooooooo! What? No!!

It was not in a bar, notice. It was not a night of surveillance in the cradle of your friend. C & # 39; was the Watch the Lions night out at their own training venue on Thursday night. And even if there were certainly some applause, maybe even more than moans, there were certainly some. And they came from Detroit.

Of course, the mixed reaction to Hockenson's choice is not really a surprise. Not when you've already made a first-round pick on Brandon Pettigrew in 2009, and another on Eric Ebron in 2014, with very little to show. Pettigrew had some big production years that were marred by inconsistencies and declines. Eventually, his career ended prematurely because of knee problems. Ebron was among the top 10 smugglers of his last two years in Detroit, but he is best known for his broken promises and unfulfilled potential.

Each year the coaches told us how much better Ebron was. He would tear up the training ground in the training camp. The hype would grow. And then the season would start, and he just had a hard time putting everything together. He was not reliable, did not make enough big games, did not score enough, dropped too many passes, could not block his pass in a paper bag and did not finally been adapted to the culture.

Last year, the Lions cut it off.

This year, they went out and had another choice among the top 10 to replace him. When has no one else chosen a close end so early since 2006? Really?

Really. And that makes a lot of sense.

We might as well start here: T.J. Hockenson is not Eric Ebron. Repeat after me: T.J. Hockenson is not Eric Ebron.

Ebron has abandoned too many passes in North Carolina. Hockenson lost one of his 64 goals last season. One. And it's not like he's doing it in space either. Watch his movie and you'll see a guy who was better than anyone else to bail out this offense in tough situations, at the third try and in the red zone. These are challenging games in tight spaces – yet, Hockenson has captured 49 passes. He had 760 yards and six touchdowns. And he dropped one of those passes – and two for his career.

"A true natural catcher," said General Manager Bob Quinn. "It really softens the way he coordinates his body to put him in a good position to make those difficult shots. Obviously, excellent hands. (It's very natural how he climbs and gets it – he does not fight at all.) It's really easy for him. I think that he really has a very good high-level technique, whether with his feet to get some kind of separation, but he can also subtly use his body to gain those extra inches that he Needs. "

This guy is safe. Ebron was not that.

And none of this explains the blockage, which has never been Ebron's cup. Hockenson, meanwhile, might be the best blocking end of his class. And it's huge for a team trying to create a ball control attack around Kerryon Johnson.

"There are a lot of tape recordings where you look at this guy, and he hangs somebody, and all of a sudden, you can not see him anymore on the tape because he has his guy on the side and let him down on the coach Matt Patricia told the fans at that evening at Allen Park. "Just a tenacious guy, a tough guy and a hard worker." And that's really what we all .

Cultural adjustments have really been stressed this season and for good reason. Patricia attempted to import the Patriot Way last year, but was pushed back into the locker room. This caused a lot of problems, especially at the beginning, and there is no doubt that it contributed to the slowness of the beginning. So the Lions gave priority to the guys who, in their opinion, would be a crisis, and continue to serve the old guard. Just look at how many former patriots they signed, guys like Trey Flowers, Justin Coleman and Danny Amendola.

"It's a tough league, and to be successful you have to be tough," said Flowers. "It can not be comfortable."

That's the sort of thing Detroit is looking for. This is the kind of thing Ebron has never had a chance to have. That's the reason he was cut. But Hockenson, from all points of view, has it. Lions do not have to take their word for it. They had a long talk with his coach, Kirk Ferentz, who has just been registered in the world of Bill Belichick. He built a system on Patriot Way, and Hockenson, a former all-American adept who has just won the Mackey Award as the best tight end of the country, embodies it all.

See the connection? See why it makes sense?

"I think it's the safest actor of the project," said Daniel Jeremiah, chief analyst of the NFL network. "Part of the advantage for him in terms of what I gave him and where I ranked him, I did it the next day after seeing Rob Gronkowski live in person in the match Qualifying against the Chargers, and I saw Gronk completely dominate a football game without really catching the ball, he was so dominant in the game of the race.

"Then I look at this kid, and he's not as tall as Gronk, and I do not compare anyone to Gronk – he's at a totally different level in terms of what he can do – but I've seen this kid with the same temperament and nastiness in the game of running and controlling the running game, and on top of that, he's just opening up and catching everything what they throw at him, he will be a very precious player with a very high floor. "

Was Hockenson the right choice for Ed Oliver? On Brian Burns? More from Rashan Gary? On one of the 15 players in front of the first round, a modern record? Who knows. The Lions could also have used the help from that side and it is easy to understand the thirst of the public.

But there is no doubt that this offense also needed help after the loss of Ebron and Golden Tate last year. The lack of skilled players was undeniable and Matthew Stafford suffered. There may not have been a worst tight rotation in the league. At a time when tight play is more important than ever, it hurts.

Jesse James helps. Now, T.J. Hockenson. And if the Lions are right about it, they have the opportunity to turn their greatest weakness into an extremely hurried force.

"He's not going to be scared (about comparisons with Ebron)," Quinn said. "I know it."