Only one NFL team this century has drafted three tight ends in the first round. Could the Lions go for four?
Detroit has an apparent need at tight end after trading T.J. Hockenson last season and the best one in the draft could be available when the Lions make their second first-round pick at No. 18.
That would be Notre Dame's Michael Mayer, who caught 67 passes for 809 yards and nine touchdowns last year to become the first consensus All-American for the Irish since 1976.
Guess who ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has the Lions taking at No. 18 in his post-free agency mock? You guessed it.
"Mayer is the most complete tight end in this class. He's physical as a run-blocker, and he can run seam routes and get open for quarterback Jared Goff. ... He could be the lead guy in Detroit," Kiper writes.
Meanwhile, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein compares Mayer to 11-time Pro Bowler and likely Hall of Famer Jason Witten as "a big combination tight end with the demeanor for run blocking and the size for tough, chain-moving catches underneath." (Alas, Zierlein also once compared Hockenson to Travis Kelce.)
"He’s a safe pick and will be a good pro who can become a plus player as a run blocker and pass catcher," Zierlein says of Mayer.
The Lions went tight-end-by-committee last season after moving on from Hockenson, drafted eighth overall by the former regime in 2019. And the trio of Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell, the latter drafted by the current regime in 2022, combined to catch 33 passes for 287 yards and nine touchdowns over the final 10 games.
"All three are under contract for 2023," writes Kiper, "but shouldn't Detroit try to upgrade?"
Depends who you ask. The Lions were an objectively better team last year without a Pro Bowl tight end in their lineup, and not just by record. They scored 28 points per game after the Hockenson trade, 24.7 before it. And you might remember what Dan Campbell, a longtime tight end himself, said about the offense the day the deal went down: "As good as T.J. was, there’s things we’ll be able to do better potentially."
"Having other guys on the field, there is always some of that give and take, no matter what player’s out there," Campbell said.
All to say, Campbell and GM Brad Holmes might not view tight end as a priority position for the Lions this offseason -- or moving forward. That would seem to rule out another tight end following in the footsteps of Hockenson, Eric Ebron and Brandon Pettigrew to Detroit. Of course, nothing can be ruled out this time of year.
Perhaps a coaching staff featuring two former NFL tight ends, including new tight ends coach Steve Heiden, and an offensive coordinator who used to be tight ends coach is the perfect group to groom a star at the position.
If Holmes sees a star in Mayer, perhaps he takes the plunge at No. 18.
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