By Benjamin Raven, Tribune News Service
INDIANAPOLIS — Sam LaPorta and the Detroit Lions hope to see the star tight end back on the field by training camp. But they know back injuries can be tricky, and they also know how important the position is to their offense.
LaPorta underwent season-ending back surgery in December after experiencing numbness, tingling and muscle loss while saying he was walking like an “80-year-old” before the procedure. Lions coach Dan Campbell said they will proceed with caution concerning LaPorta’s return, making sure he’s fully ready. LaPorta added after the season ended that he hopes to be running some by the spring’s OTAs.
Brock Wright also ended the season on injured reserve, and the team’s offense slumped without its top two tight ends. They ran for less than 100 yards in three out of their final four games, averaging about 17 points per game in the final three weeks.
With LaPorta dealing with a back injury, not to mention he and Wright entering the final year of their contracts, there is an argument that the Lions need more tight-end depth. Add in the fact that new offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing, worked wonders with his tight ends in Arizona, while deploying heavy-set looks more than most, and it’s a sneaky position.
“It’s one of the few positions that’s heavily involved in both phases — the run and the pass,” Petzing said. “Not that it doesn’t take all 11 to execute those, but those guys are probably a little bit more involved in the mental aspect of those things. And having those guys that can do dynamic things creates indecision for the defense.
“It makes you hard to defend, but no different than an elite wideout, a top-level running back, or anything like that.”
LaPorta is a legit star pass-catcher and already among the best in the league at his position. But the Lions can’t take any chances, especially with the new offensive coordinator’s past and the current contract situations in the tight end room.
The upcoming draft or free agency could be a great opportunity to boost some depth to help fill in the gaps, and for the future at the position. Since we’re at the NFL combine for the week, we’ll focus on some prospects who could make sense in Detroit.
Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq is widely viewed as TE1 in this class and could be the lone first-round pick at the position. It would be surprising to see the Lions go that high for a tight end, but it’s also easy to see how someone could easily fall in love with Sadiq.
His production was solid. However, it’s all about the projection and his elite traits. The 6-foot-3 tight end was ranked as one of the top “freaks” in college football thanks to his vertical jump of 41.5 inches and impressive strength. Oregon coach Dan Lanning previously said Sadiq “does stuff that amazes you every single day,” crediting him for challenging himself to become a better blocker.
Sadiq’s on-field testing results in Indianapolis are likely to garner some headlines and increased attention. And while he’s the cream of the crop this year, there are more than a few options in the middle to later rounds.
Michigan’s Marlin Klein was impressive during his media session at the combine. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end said he met with the Lions during the week, and that he loves Dan Campbell and what the franchise represents. He also found a way to sound like a fit for what they expect there.
“I think blocking-wise, you kind of got to be crazy,” Klein said. “You’ve got to be crazy to play this position. The mindset I attack it with is, ‘I’ll run through your face, and I’ll take you where you don’t want to go.’”
Houston’s Tanner Koziol is flying under the radar despite being one of the nation’s most productive tight ends over the previous two years. Over the previous two seasons between Ball State and Houston, Koziol compiled 168 catches for 1,556 yards with 14 touchdowns.
He’s a 6-foot-7, 250-pound experienced player who graded as a top-15 tight end in consecutive seasons, per Pro Football Focus. Heck, Koziol even made it clear he wants to be known for his run blocking and physicality as much as he is for his vertical ability and enviable catch radius.
While others mentioned Kyle Pitts, Brock Browers and LaPorta as players they like to model their games after. Koziol went off the board with a pure football guy pick for his, and it’s easy to picture Dan Campbell flashing that smile reading that.
“With my frame, I want to be able to dominate the run game,” Koziol said. “I think with the right technique development and just the right mindset going into it, I can dominate the run game. When you see a guy like John Bates for the Washington Commanders, he’s a guy that probably no one really knows about, no one really talks about.
“But he’s dominated the run game, and he’s elite for the Commanders in the run game, just being able to be that aspect of a tight end is really, really fun.”
Michigan’s Max Bredeson, while somewhat position-less as a fullback, tight end and football player, is intriguing based on all the things he did in Ann Arbor. He was PFF’s top-ranked run-blocking and fifth-ranked pass-protecting tight end.
Other names to watch are Texas A&M’s Nate Boerkircher and Indiana’s Riley Nowakowski. Boerkircher is a proven and willing run blocker who doesn’t shy away from toughness. Nowakowski was a workhorse for the national champion Hoosiers, doing a touch of everything as one of their chess pieces from H-back, fullback and tight end.
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