One way or the other, it feels like tight end T.J. Hockenson has played his last game with the Minnesota Vikings. A cap hit that ranks second at his position right now is not justified by what he has produced the last couple of seasons, whether it was his fault or not, this season in particular.
To put it plainly, the Vikings have to find ways to trim a lot of cap dollars this offseason. One of the most notable ways to get that done, even with a dead money hit, is to part ways with Hockenson.
If Hockenson is gone, the obvious question is who will replace him. Josh Oliver is very good in his role, but he is not what anyone envisions as a TE1. Ben Yurosek is sort of interesting as a potential internal replacement, but he is a massive projection right now.
The free agent class of tight ends is broadly interesting, but how active the Vikings will (or can) be on the open market is a question. So, in the interest of cost management after last offseason's spending spree, the draft might be a better path to bolstering the tight end depth chart.
New 2026 NFL mock draft has Minnesota Vikings going bold to replace T.J. Hockenson
Via their five-game winning streak to finish the season, the Vikings took themselves out of a potential top-10 pick all the way down to the latest first-round pick a non-playoff team can have--18th overall.
Many early ideas about what the Vikings should do with their first-round pick center on the secondary, and they're spot-on. But the teams that draft the best don't stay married to needs if a good player is available.
Based on early insight he has gathered from talking to people around the league, Dane Brugler of The Athletic is out with his first mock draft for 2026.
At No. 18 overall, Brugler has the Vikings taking Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq.
"If T.J. Hockenson is a cap casualty this offseason, tight end would move up the Vikings’ needs list.
Sadiq is a big, freaky athlete with the adjustment skills to make difficult catches look routine and the mentality to be an asset as a blocker. NFL teams believe he has the talent to be a top-10 pick."
Sadiq (6-foot-3, 255 pounds) totaled 29 receptions over his first two seasons at Oregon. But a two-touchdown game in last year's Big Ten Championship Game foreshadowed this season's breakout as the Ducks' No. 1 tight end (51 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns). As expected, he has officially declared for April's draft.
MOORE. SADIQ.
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) November 22, 2025
HUGE THROW AND CATCH FOR THE DUCKS. pic.twitter.com/T30MLzotMQ
Heading into the season, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic had Sadiq on his annual "freaks" list, calling him a "matchup nightmare for defenses."
"The 6-3 Sadiq came to Oregon two years ago at 220 pounds but is now 255", Feldman wrote. He’s much leaner this season thanks to healthier eating, which he said has enabled him to go from 12-13 percent body fat to about 10. He vertical jumped 41.5 inches this summer, power cleaned 365 pounds and bench pressed 435."
We can all but remove the question of whether Hockenson will be gone this offseason. There is a chance a potential trade suitor or two emerges, though, to allow the Vikings to recoup some value.
Whatever the move to part ways with Hockenson looks like, Sadiq would be a bold replacement option to inject some much-needed raw talent and upside into their offense.