ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions are getting creative as they try to test a rookie wide receiver to provide depth and develop at tight end.
They are also pointing to Brock Wright as one of their most dependable players if top tight end Sam LaPorta is forced to miss any time.
LaPorta (back) has not practiced this week. Wright (ankle) has been back on the field after missing the first session of the week, too.
LaPorta’s status for this weekend’s trip to face the Philadelphia Eagles is in jeopardy after a full week of no practice, though.
The third-year tight end has been one of the hot hands in recent weeks. LaPorta has 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns. All three of those scores have come in the team’s last five games as he’s posted 24 catches for 312 yards in that span.
“I know a lot more today,” Campbell said of LaPorta. “That’s another one, you know, I don’t see him practicing either, you know, so I’ll just -- that’s the best way to say it.”
Wright sounds like he should be good to go for this weekend. And the Lions have a ton of trust in him to handle so much more than just the dirty work, if needed.
Wright has only nine catches for 71 yards. But he has two touchdowns and handles the aforementioned dirty work at a high rate for the Lions. There is a reason this franchise matched his three-year, $12 million offer from the San Francisco 49ers in 2024 to keep him around.
Heck, when Campbell was asked about his trust in Wright, the 6-foot-5 coach literally touched the ceiling above him when lifting his arm.
“Brock’s the guy we don’t talk a lot about, but you know, he’s the jack of all trades, man, “Campbell said.” He does everything for us. Pass protect, run block, he can run some routes, he plays special teams like he’s one of the most dependable players we have on this team.
“And, at the end of the day, what you really need in the tight end position is versatility and smarts. And he’s got both of those. And he’s tough. So, he checks a lot of boxes of a well-rounded tight end. And so that is always going to make me feel a lot better, feel us offensively feel a lot better.”
The Lions are also getting creative when trying to find more in-house depth at tight end.
Campbell said they have been testing rookie wide receiver Jackson Meeks at the position recently. Meeks has some size at 6-foot-2, 218 pounds. He’s been working between scout team wide receiver and spending time with tight ends coach Tyler Roehl.
Meeks remains on the practice squad after making it through as an undrafted rookie. He was active for the team’s win over the Cleveland Browns, logging four offensive snaps and nine on special teams.
There was a blocking rep Meeks had against Lions pass rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad that caught Campbell’s eyes. Campbell made sure to say that Meeks didn’t win the route, but “he held his own” and didn’t blink at the daunting challenge.
“He didn’t look like a fish out of water, you know, it looked like, ‘Whoa, this is kind of natural for him,” Campbell said. “He’s got some strength. He’s got some size, and we know the athlete. He’s a big, big athlete. He’s got length, can play strong.
“He still does scout team receiver, and he’s still working with (receivers coach) Scotty (Montgomery), too, here and there. But we’re just kind of tinkering with him. You know, maybe there’s an H-back in there. There’s an athlete. So we’ll see. We’re just going to keep working with him. He works hard and he’s smart, too.”
_This post will be updated with attendance from Friday’s practice in Allen Park before the game designations post at 4 p.m._
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