Dear,

Mel Kiper, Charley Casserly, Daniel Jeremiah, and every single one of you draft bloggers/analysts that are saying that the Detroit Lions should draft a tight end with their first round pick, (the eighth pick let me remind you) this blog is for you.

Detroit needs a tight end this offseason and it’s pretty ridiculous to think that they should take one with the eighth pick. “This is a position of need,” GM Bob Quinn said. “We know that. It’s a good year in the draft for tight ends. I’d say there’s a really good crop and there’s an unusual amount of underclassman tight ends in this year’s draft which really fit what we’re kind of looking for. So, there’s numerous options there and in free agency.”

Even though with Quinn saying that Kiper recently said that he moved the Iowa tight end T.J Hockenson up from No. 19 in his first mock draft published last month to No. 8 “anticipating a big workout” at next week’s NFL combine.

What does that even mean? You anticipating someone having a good workout means they jump up? How about after the workout? Huh. Why do you want Detroit to use this pick on a tight end so bad? They have so many other positions that need to be filled. I would rather take a wide receiver here than take a tight end. But honestly, I’d rather go with a different position, maybe a corner to match-up with Darius Slay? Someone to rush the passer?

“Hockenson (6-5, 250) is a complete player who can run routes out of the slot on one play, then line up next to a tackle and blow up an edge defender in the running game on the next,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper wrote on his mock draft, which posted Monday morning. “I’m not going to call him a Rob Gronkowski clone, but there are similarities, particularly when you see each as blockers. And remember that Lions coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn saw firsthand what Gronk did for the Patriots during their time in the organization.”

How are you going to say “I’m not going to call him a Rob Gronkowski clone” but continue to basically say that he is is ridiculous. You can’t say that about anyone. That’s like seeing a Kerryon Johnson and calling him Barry Sanders, that just isn’t realistic. Mel, are you trying to make the Lions a laughing stock. C’mon.

The 8th pick the draft at that? Are you kidding me. First off, you’re giving everyone flashbacks of Eric Ebrick*Ebron* who Detroit drafted in 2014 with the 10th pick. And well you know how that played out for Detroit. Here we are in 2019 talking about taking another tight end with that early first round pick?

Let me tell you this stat. Just eight tight ends have gone in the first round of the last 10 NFL drafts, and the Detroit Lions have taken two of them. Brandon Pettigrew and Eric Ebron.

Now I’m not against drafting a tight end, second round? Yes! Why would we spend a first round pick on a player that is suppose to change a Franchise? There are plenty of options available for the second round or even a little later.

Who else could Detroit get for TE? Through the draft or through free agency.

Now, I’m not here to break down any film, you can go ahead and do that on your own. But I added a couple of YouTube videos for players who I would really like to see in Detroit.

But anyway here are some players that are available for Detroit come the second round and some that could be picked in the fourth round.

2nd round – 4th round TE’s available:

  • Irv Smith – Alabama + his father played TE in the NFL.
  • Noah Fant – You know, this is the other tight end that lines up with T.J Hockenson who these reports have Detroit taking at number 8.
  • Jace Stenberger– Texas A & M
  • Kaden Smith
  • CJ Conrad – Kentucky

Free agent tight ends available:

  • Jared Cook – The Guy We Need….
  • Tyler Eifert – He has played in only 12 games over the past three seasons and has struggled to stay on the field throughout his NFL tenure, appearing in only 43 out of a possible 96 games. So in other words if we can’t get him cheap, don’t pay.
  • Austin Seferian-Jenkins – No thanks.
  • Jesse James – Fine by me.

More of a list, click here.

Here’s the thing though, if Detroit does go tight end I’ll still support the kid, right? You have too. It’s similar to like when a President is Elected, right? There’s no need to storm the streets, you just support them, but you know once he drops that first pass everyone who rocks Honolulu blue will be ready to rain down the boo’s. Take a look at all of the tight ends I just listed and well, that should be enough to not want to take TJ Hockenson with the eighth pick. Just don’t do it to us Bob. You and Matt are too smart to go with a tight end with the eighth pick. In Patricia WE Trust, get the shirt.

If I was asked what I would do? I would trade back and try and draft Devin Bush (Not just because he was on my podcast the other day) and use the other picks you get from the trade to upgrade tight end, corner, wide receiver, etc… There are players available later in this draft and Bob Quinn has proven that he and his scout team can draft late.

Oh, did I mention that I had Devin Bush on my podcast? Listen here:

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