Is a tight end the Lions next Megatron in the 2021 NFL Draft?

We’ve seen a lot of movement from the Detroit Lions this offseason. That’s mainly been on their front office and coaching staff with the hirings of a new general manager in Brad Holmes and a new head coach in Dan Campbell.

The Motor City’s new regime has recently turned its attention to the roster with the pending trade of quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams. In return, Detroit has a new quarterback under center in Jared Goff and a bounty of future draft capital to build upon.

Next up, the Lions figure to address several of their pending free agents. The biggest name being wide receiver Kenny Golladay. In fact, Detroit’s starting trio of receivers which includes Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr., and Danny Amendola are all set to hit the open market in March.

With the only returning receiver to play a game last season currently being Quintez Cephus, the Lions are surely going to focus on this positional group soon. And regardless if Detroit inks Golladay to a contract extension or not, the position of wide receiver has to be a serious consideration for the Lions in the first round of the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

Owning the seventh overall selection, the Lions should have their pick of the top wideouts in the upcoming class. And as the draft nears, several candidates appear to be emerging as the cream of the receiver crop. Those prospects include Ja’Marr Chase of LSU and the duo of DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle out of Alabama. But could the best wide receiver candidate actually be a tight end?

I know what you are thinking. Flordia’s Kyle Pitts is a tight end. At 6-foot-6, 246 pounds, that’s what his frame tells most of us he should be. And the Lions’ recently spent a first-round selection on tight end T.J. Hockenson, so the position is clearly not a huge need in Motown.

But there are some who believe Pitts projects better as a wide receiver in the NFL. And if the new-look Lions are hoping to find their next Megatron in this draft, then the former Gator might just be the best candidate. His stat-line from this past season is ridiculous, recording 43 receptions for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in only eight games. Pitts averaged a whopping 17.9 yards per catch.

Obviously, Calvin Johnson was a unicorn and should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. And while his 6-foot-5, 237-pound frame is similar to Pitts, his blazing speed and agility at that size are what separated him from the rest of the human race.

Walter Football has Pitt’s 40-yard dash time at 4.68, which might be generous. Johnson ran an insane 4.35 40-time at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2007.

Now throw in Johnson’s excellent route-running, leaping ability, terrific hands, football instincts, etc. That’s a difficult comparison for anyone to match up against especially a converted college tight end.

Regardless, Kyle Pitts a.k.a. The Cheat Code appears to be a very special prospect in his own right. And if the Detroit Lions believe he’s a generational talent and the best player available when their number is called, they should absolutely take him. But if it’s a receiver the Lions want in the first round, they’ll have plenty of choices.