Here’s what the Lions are expecting from T.J. Hockenson

The Detroit Lions have big expectations for rookie first-round pick T.J. Hockenson, but before he can become a touchdown machine in their offense, he has to do the little things right.

Life for a rookie in the NFL is filled with new experiences, both on and off the field. They’re thrust into a new locker room with new teammates and coaches, a new playbook and a healthy bank account. So, naturally, a lot can go wrong.

For the Detroit Lions and coach Matt Patricia, he’s keeping reasonable expectations for his rookie class.

“For us, we’re just trying to look for them to pick up as much as possible from what we’re trying to do, understand how to become a professional,” Patricia said before Thursday’s practice in Allen Park. “A lot of it for them coming out of college is learning how to take care of their bodies, the demand of what the day looks like from that aspect of it – scheduling – and what we’re trying to do.”

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The Lions spent their first-round pick on Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson, who was best described as a throwback football player both on and off the field. He’s equal parts playmaker as a receiver as he is a mauler in the run game, and he should contribute early in his career in Detroit.

But before he can make that kind of impact on the field, he has to make sure he’s doing all the right things off of it. As Patricia said, rookies have to learn how to take care of their bodies first and foremost. The NFL season is much longer than college and, naturally, wear and tear accumulates. The dreaded rookie wall is usually a byproduct of first-year players not managing their rest and recovery properly.

Hockenson’s production at Iowa was somewhat limited because of the Hawkeyes’ offense. He also shared the field with tight end Noah Fant, who by the way, was the 20th overall pick to the Denver Broncos. He finished 2018 with 49 catches for 760 yards and six touchdowns.

He’s expected to be much more productive as a pro.