One of the biggest Detroit Lions training camp battles is playing out for the depth tight end spot. Or spots, as the offense could very well keep four tight ends instead of the traditional threesome.
We know Sam LaPorta is tight end No. 1 after a record-breaking rookie season. We know Brock Wright, re-signed this offseason after San Francisco tried to poach him as a restricted free agent, is next in line. After that?
The Lions currently have four guys fighting for either one or two spots:
- Parker Hesse
- James Mitchell
- Sean McKeon
- Shane Zylstra
They’re all different enough in skills and traits that it’s a battle that is as much about what offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, tight ends coach Steve Heiden and the Lions want from the TE3 (and maybe TE4) than it is any superior performance in camp. Consistency of performance is definitely key, however.
Here’s what Johnson said about what the Lions are looking for at the position.
“That room, the competition is lights out right now,” Johnson stated before Thursday’s practice “In terms of the third spot, I think coach (Dan) Campbell, myself, Brad (Holmes), that spot needs to be able to wear a ton of hats because you just don’t know. You got LaPorta with his skillset, you got Wright with his skillset, and that third spot needs to be smart enough to fill in either spot if need be.”
Johnson continued,
“So the versatility is at a premium. (Dave) Fipp (special teams coordinator) certainly needs help there on special teams, and so that plays a part also. But we need a smart player that can wear multiple hats. It’s a bonus if we can get some backfield work; if he can do some fullback-type jobs, or if he can split out wide. The more you can do increases your value right there.”
With all that fresh in the mind, I spent a good portion of Thursday’s practice watching the tight ends. From a pass protection drill to a receiving drill and then special teams work, it turned out to be a very good day to focus on the combatants behind LaPorta and Wright, who is firmly No. 2 despite a rough day of practice.
Heading into padded practices this week, I had them ranked like this in terms of likelihood of making the final roster after watching them all compete all offseason:
Zylstra, Hesse, Mitchell, McKeon
Zylstra is the best receiver of the group, but also the weakest blocker. As such, the fourth-year vet has to thrive in the passing game. His speed and route-running remain fairly impressive, but he’s also put a couple of balls on the ground this week. A sweet touchdown snag in the red zone drill when QB Nate Sudfeld found him behind and beyond Jalen Reeves-Maybin was a nice feather in his cap … and a needed one, too; Zylstra’s blocking and special teams performance are clearly last amongst the combatants.
Hesse earned praise from Dan Campbell before Wednesday’s practice as someone who caught his eye in the first days in pads. No. 43 has been sure-handed as a receiver despite being the least dynamic athlete of the group. He was the best of any of the tight ends (including LaPorta and Wright) in the pass protection drill. He’s been the best of the group on special teams all offseason, though not impressive enough that Hesse would make it strictly as a special teamer.
Hesse is consistently the most physical and technically sound run blocker of the group, especially from an in-line alignment. He also had a fantastic downfield block that directly led to a Hendon Hooker-to-Donovan Peoples-Jones touchdown in Thursday’s team drills.
Mitchell had a typical James Mitchell day on Thursday. He had a couple of great reps in pass protection but also an absolute clunker. No. 82 is fast in the open field but the slowest to get into the open field, a weird combination.
Mitchell had a great catch away from his frame in team drills but was late getting his hands out for a catch on what appeared to be his very next rep. He followed up a matador whiff block on one special teams rep by blowing past Zylstra when they flipped sides of the kickoff team. The inconsistency has plagued the 2022 fifth-round pick all offseason. His positive flashes are difficult to overlook, however.
McKeon has stepped up since the pads came on. After spending his first four seasons with the Cowboys, where he caught six passes in 49 games, McKeon has flashed some very strong hands in red zone drills on multiple days this week. The Michigan product offers some nice nuance to his routes, maximizing his athletic ability well.
He is a perfectly functional in-line blocker, stonewalling James Houston early in the week with good knee bend and hand placement in his pass pro set. His special teams experience showed on Thursday, unspectacular but effective.
So where does that leave us with one practice left this week before the Lions head to New York for joint practices and a preseason date with the Giants? My impression of how the Lions now see the TE depth:
–Zylstra’s unique ability to play LaPorta’s role in the passing offense gives him a clear edge, but he can’t afford more dropped passes or instant losses as a special teams blocker.
–Hesse brings the most functional versatility, and he’s consistently impressed with his hands and physicality as both a receiver and a blocker. His limited work playing the H-back role out of the backfield is a nice boost that nobody else matches. He would get my nod over Mitchell, using Johnson’s stated desire for consistency and versatility.
–Mitchell has a very important week coming. On paper he’s the best candidate to win the TE3 job, but football isn’t played on paper. Mitchell really needs to string together good reps in all phases of the game across multiple practices. Even one “clean” day where he consistently lives up to his potential would vault him up, but I can’t recall Mitchell having one of those in the last two summers. For an organization that treasures trust and consistency, that’s not positive.
–McKeon has definitely made it more interesting, but the reality is that he’s likely playing for a practice squad spot or a No. 3 TE role on another team. He’s better already than Jesse James when he came to Detroit as a higher-priced TE2 back in 2019, for context about the relative skill level of the depth here.
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