Up next in the series of “a prospect for every round” is a position group where Lions fans absolutely want nothing to do with a first-round talent, even though the current roster might reflect tight end as a big need. Detroit’s rather inglorious history of drafting first-round TEs and not having those players finish their rookie contracts with the team. That list includes Brandon Pettigrew, Eric Ebron and T.J. Hockenson, who was traded for a second-round pick in the middle of last season.
The Lions bring back their top three TEs from the end of the 2022 season. Brock Wright, James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra performed well in a more limited usage in the passing game. Mitchell, the Lions’ fifth-round pick a year ago, is a player widely viewed as someone who could take a big step forward with a healthy offseason.
