The Detroit Lions have some major decisions to make when it comes to roster building this offseason, and on the outside, it feels as if they have plenty of depth to survive at the skill positions.
Conventional early wisdom seems to hold that the Lions will look to boost their offensive line in order to help them control games offensively. On the defensive side, additions in the backfield and at pass rusher are a must.
Few people are talking about a position such as tight end to be a need. Looking closer, however, it seems that the Lions could get a boost from an addition there. Sam LaPorta missed the end of the season with injury, and outside of Brock Wright, there isn't much depth at the position.
Fortunately, a new name is set to enter the arena that could make sense for the Lions. Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku recently revealed he will be heading to free agency. His departure from a bad situation in Cleveland sets him up to join a contender to take the next step in his career.
At age 29, Njoku could be an interesting idea for the Lions. He's still in the prime of his career though he has endured ups and downs with the Browns. He was a 2023 Pro Bowler and has 34 career touchdowns. Detroit personnel executive John Dorsey also has a history with Njoku given he was with him in Cleveland from 2017-2019 as general manager.
The Lions could use one more weapon for the red zone to help their offense, and there's another big reason Njoku could be a target of the franchise in 2026.
Drew Petzing could decide another tight end is a must to help Lions' offense
Perhaps the biggest reason the Lions could look at a tight end? Their new offensive coordinator is a fan of using two on the field. That isn't to say Wright isn't capable of shouldering the load, but a bit more firepower at the position could be a good idea for Detroit.
Running back David Montgomery understands changes are likely to be in order with Petzing in charge. Speaking at the Super Bowl with NBC's "Fantasy Football Happy Hour," Montgomery admitted that Petzing already seems to know what he must do in order to get Detroit's offense back in gear.
"It's pretty evident that he knows exactly what has to happen and he's prepared for the task at hand. So it'll be good to kind of see what he implements in our offense and how we can improve better than what we were last year."
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Part of that improvement might be involving another top-end tight end in the mix. The Lions already have a great player in LaPorta, but the offense could be more dangerous with another player shouldering the load at the position. Njoku has been a force in the league, and with more talent around him in Detroit, could flourish.
Don't be surprised if the Lions think about adding a tight end this offseason at some point. A veteran like Njoku could be a solid move, especially if it's for the right price.