While we enter the days of training camp, it’s already been interesting for the Detroit Lions. Wide receiver Jameson Williams suffered a minor injury and should miss a few days. Meanwhile, they suffered an injury scare when defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down with a knee injury.
Fortunately, the injury for Gardner-Johnson has been defined as minor and is considered day-to-day.
While both players will be worth monitoring, there’s still plenty to follow when it comes to each position group during training camp. One of the main positions to follow is the tight end position.
Last season, the Lions tight end room changed drastically when they traded away T.J. Hockenson. Fortunately for the Lions, they made it work with players such as Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra.
As we enter the off-season, we knew that their was a need for an upgrade at tight end in Detroit. However, we didn’t know if the Lions were going to sign one or draft one. As it unfolded, we saw the Lions select Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta in the 2nd Round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
By selecting LaPorta, the Lions get a clear upgrade at the position. During training camp, we should see LaPorta be a step ahead of every other tight end on the roster. Much of this is due to the route running and athletic ability that he possesses. With that skill-set, it should allow the Lions the ability to consistently run between 12 and 21 personnel and they should find plenty of success.
Players such as Zylstra and Wright are experienced and are familiar with the scheme being ran under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. For Brock Wright, he had 591 snaps on offense last season and recorded 18 receptions for 216 yards and 4 touchdowns.
As for Shane Zylstra, he could be on the outside looking in and his performance during training camp could be crucial on if he makes the roster or not. Last season, he had 227 offensive snaps but he did score 4 touchdowns off just 11 receptions. What we’ve seen from himis very similar to what we saw in 2013 and 2014 from Joseph Fauria. We’ll see if Zylstra only plays two seasons for the Lions like Fauria.
The determining factor for Zylstra could be based off three things:
- Can LaPorta handle the role of being the top tight end
- Is James Mitchell ready to take another step?
- Do the Lions carry three or four tight ends on the roster?
We know the Lions selected James Mitchell in the 7th Round of the 2022 NFL Draft but he was coming off a torn ACL. However, he played well in 14 games last season. He had 11 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. But it’s unclear on what his progression from year one to his second season looks like.
Ultimately, I’d expect Sam LaPorta to be the top option for the Lions at the tight end position. He should get the majority of the first-team snaps, but it looks like he’s got a good supporting cast behind him and an even better supporting cast around him at the other positions. The Lions could carry four tight ends this year, but I think they’ll go with three of them. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out during training camp, but the projected three tight ends I have for the Lions are Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright and James Mitchell.
