ESPN analyst Mel Kiper’s latest NFL mock draft is sure to put a smile on the face of Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco.
An athletic 6-foot-5 and 250-pound blocker and pass-catcher with no injury concerns? Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson checks all the boxes. It’s why Kiper predicted Denver general manager John Elway will select Hockenson at No. 10 overall in next month’s draft, placing him in rare company among tight ends taken within the first 10 picks over the past two decades: Kellen Winslow (2004), Vernon Davis (2006) and Eric Ebron (2014).
Hockenson’s career numbers over two playing seasons at Iowa: 73 catches for 1,080 yards and nine touchdowns.