Tight end group at combine offers intriguing options to round out Detroit Lions' depth chart

Indianapolis — Following the Detroit Lions’ decision to hire Drew Petzing as the team’s new offensive coordinator, a review of his personnel patterns from his previous role with the Arizona Cardinals revealed an affinity for jumbo packages centered around two and three tight ends.

Our inclinations are to project how previous tendencies might be copy-and-pasted between positions. Would the Lions, who have also relied heavily on tight ends in recent years, lean further into that trend? And did the hiring of Petzing unofficially declare the position a bigger offseason need than previously thought?

With a little more time to reflect on that initial assessment, and the benefit of fresh comments from coach Dan Campbell and Petzing, the answer to both is probably not. Both noted that those decisions were related to the Cardinals’ roster as much as anything, with Petzing stating his priority will always be to get the best 11 players on the field, not force an extra tight end into the mix over a better option at wide receiver or running back.

Regardless, the Lions could use another tight end. Sam LaPorta is coming off a season-ending back injury, Brock Wright is entering the final year of his contract, and there’s an opening for a third, which the team tried to fill with Kenny Yeboah last offseason, only to see him knocked out for the year with a knee injury before the end of training camp.

Another swing in free agency is always an option, but that’s usually more of a stopgap solution than something longer-term. A draft pick comes with a cost-controlled, four-year contract, allowing for the development of a younger player who potentially takes on a bigger role in 2027, when Wright’s deal expires.

And this class is shaping up to have some intriguing options, many of which could be available to the Lions in the event’s third day.

That group met with the media Thursday at the scouting combine and will test later this week, but it’s already easy to see how some of the prospects could fit in with Detroit.