Why the Vikings should draft T.J. Hockenson in the first round

Why Hockenson is a fit for the Vikings:

As mentioned in the first slide, the Minnesota Vikings have plenty of boxes to check off during the NFL Draft, but taking Hockenson would check off a couple of them. His receiving ability could add another weapon that could free up some bigger plays downfield and his blocking should be able to spring Dalvin Cook while also providing another line of protection for Kirk Cousins.

This is a deep and talented class and although Rudolph believes he’s entering the prime of his career, he’s an almost 30-year-old entering the final year of his contract.

There’s a good chance the Vikings will take a tight end and with more teams involving the tight end in their offense (Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz and fellow Iowa product George Kittle are a few examples), Minnesota’s offense could follow the lead of other teams (in the case of Cleveland’s David Njoku, New York’s Evan Engram and Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert) who have invested premium picks to help solidify the position.

The Minnesota Vikings will still need to address their offensive line if they decide to go this route, but with a similar deep offensive line class that should have talent in the second and third round, taking Hockenson would be a solid start to the Vikings 2019 draft class.