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When the Detroit Lions traded tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings back in 2022, the move looked—at least on paper—like it could work out for both sides. Detroit was in the middle of a rebuild, the Vikings were chasing wins, and draft picks were flying back and forth like poker chips.
Fast forward to 2025, and the dust has officially settled. And let’s just say… the Lions’ haul didn’t age quite as well as they’d hoped.
What the Vikings Got: Stability and a Star (Injuries Aside)
Minnesota wasted no time locking up Hockenson, handing him a four-year, $66 million deal in 2023. Sure, his torn ACL late that season slowed things down, but the Vikings haven’t looked back. He’s still a reliable weapon when healthy, and they turned their side of the draft-pick shuffle into safety Jay Ward and, more importantly, quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
That’s a pretty solid trade tree—especially if McCarthy becomes “the guy” under center for years to come.
What the Lions Got: A Mixed Bag of Projects
Detroit’s side, meanwhile, is harder to defend. Through a series of pick-swaps and trade-downs, they turned the Hockenson deal into a collection of players:
- Hendon Hooker (QB) – Once seen as a potential gem, now off the roster.
- Brodríc Martin (DT) – Another “project pick” who never panned out.
- Antoine Green (WR) – A concussion derailed his young career.
- Terrion Arnold (CB) – A bright spot, and still promising.
- Sione Vaki (RB) – Could still develop, but hasn’t proven much yet.
That’s… not exactly a list that screams “we won the trade.”
The Harsh Verdict
As Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports put it, the Lions’ two biggest swings—Hooker and Martin—ended up being “incredible third-round reaches.” Ouch. By 2025, both players were already gone, leaving Arnold as the lone standout.
So, while the Vikings can point to McCarthy and Hockenson as evidence of a win-now move that might also pay off in the long term, the Lions are left with a lot of what-ifs and missed opportunities.
Closing Thought: Sometimes, Less Is More
The NFL draft is always a gamble, but in this case, Detroit might have outsmarted themselves with all the maneuvering. Instead of walking away with one clear cornerstone player, they ended up with a handful of question marks.
Bottom line? The Vikings won the Hockenson trade. And unless one of those Lions projects suddenly blossoms into a star, that’s not changing anytime soon.