It clearly looks like we should have went this direction. I still have high hopes for TJ but it doesn’t look good so far .
TJ will be fine. TEs take a bit to get traction but he’s still the best TE prospect to come out in a long time.
I think Hock will be very good… but taking a TE that high is a terrible pick from the moment it’s made.
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I think TJ will be good just never top 10 pick good
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The value of a tight end doesn’t warrant a #8 OA pick. In fact, our passing game has been just fine whether or not he has been on the field.
The running game has also been awful, which TJ and James were supposed to be a big help with, so the impact hasn’t been felt really.
I agree that tight ends take time, but when you are a franchise like the Lions, you need to get instant impact out of your first rounders. Teams like the Pats can go ahead and do whatever they want, because they have the luxury of trying to be smarter than everyone else. We have first round picks on this team that haven’t done much of anything. That kills your ability to build/rebuild.
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I liked Burns… How’s he doing and who’s he with?
Burns has 4.5 sacks with Carolina.
This was the argument I made predraft. I like TJ as a player but I’d never take a TE in the top 10 or even in the first round to be honest. The value just isn’t there.
I felt the Lions should have traded down. They were given some pretty good trade offers and chose to pass on all of them.
Could you imagine trading down. Drafting Burns and Irv Smith. And still had a second rounder left to take Tavai.
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Gotta luv all the know it all keyboard GM’s…
Hindsight is a wonderful thing!
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Hindsight has nothing to do with it. I made all these same arguments (on the other board) before and after the draft. Burns was my choice at 8, and Winovich was on my short list with our pick in the 2nd after we passed on Burns.
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Personally I wanted to trade-up 1 pick to get Josh Allen, 5 sacks…but yeah, your plan would have been good too.
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Right after the combine, I mentioned Winovich as being our 2nd round pick as well.
It’s not hindsight, the stats are reaffirming what many of us wanted or believed. I made a thread about good teams not drafting TE’s in the top 10 because tight ends are one of the cheapest positions to fill via Free Agency…not hindsight.
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Week 7 of their first NFL regular season and everyone has it figured out on who will be better and the most productive throughout their career. Silly.
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I would have stayed put and took Ed Oliver. I loved Winovich coming out, but I have to admit Tavai was a good pick.
We needed a pass rusher really bad. That’s what the def is really missing. It also makes DBs jobs much easier. Not sure why BQ doesn’t see it though.
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It all went downhill by paying through the roof for Flowers. That pretty much assured we weren’t going Dline with Snacks and the emerging Hand. Passing on Flowers, and/or trading down would have netted us a much needed extra pick and still have plenty of D-line options in the best Dline class in recent memory.
That said, the cards have been dealt, and hoping Hock can become our TE All Pro. Next year.
In other news Noah Fant had 3 drops vs KC and ended at 5 targets, 1 catch, 7 yards. This entire problem goes back to them vacating the TE position the previous year and then over compensating with an expensive FA and a first round pick.