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.
Here is one tight end prospect that fits the Lions from each round of the draft. Detroit doesn’t currently have any picks in the fourth or seventh rounds, but players from those ranges are included because trades happen all the time during the draft weekend.
The purpose here isn’t to advocate for any one player but to give a better idea of the type of talent available at each level of the 2023 NFL draft.