The NFL Scouting Combine remains in full swing, with players conducting their media sessions throughout the week in Indianapolis. Here are some Detroit Lions-centric observations from the draft’s tight ends and quarterbacks.
Few prospects at the combine have a chance to prove themselves worthy of a first-round pick like Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, an uber-athletic and versatile player who’s expected to crush the physical testing. He’s 6-foot-3, 241 pounds and is absolutely shredded. But he also only totaled 892 yards over 42 college appearances, so there are question marks about how he’ll translate to the next level. While a first-round tight end might be a bit rich for the Lions, the production shouldn’t scare them away, if they do like what they saw from the Big Ten Tight End of the Year who caught 51 passes for 560 yards last season. Sam LaPorta, for context, caught 58 passes for 657 yards before being drafted by Detroit and immediately setting a bevy of rookie records.
“I’m willing to do whatever my team wants me to do. Production is one thing, but also being a great teammate (is), as well, and I think I’ve done that,” Sadiq said when asked what he’ll say to a team that questions his production.
LaPorta’s 2025 season ended early because of back injury, and Brock Wright, Zach Horton and Thomas Gordon are the only other tight ends set to be on Detroit’s roster when the new league year begins in March. New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said his heavy use of two- and three-TE sets while with the Cardinals was a product of Arizona’s personnel, but the Lions might need some future-proofing at the position, regardless. Plus, if Sadiq hits, it gives the Lions options at TE, with LaPorta soon due up for a contract extension.
Speaking at the combine in 2023, Lions coach Dan Campbell said he was searching for prospects who had the “it” factor, a trait that would show up during face-to-face meetings. Specifically, Campbell wanted to find players who have “a fire burning in them” when talking about the sport. On Thursday, Lake McRee (USC) was asked what he wants teams to know about him by the end of the week. “Just how much I love football,” McRee said. “I think that’s kind of a lost art in today’s world, especially in college with all the NIL money you can make and people going to four schools in four years.”
“I think football is … the best team sport that there is,” continued McRee, who is projected as a late-round option after catching 30 passes for 450 yards and four touchdowns in 2025. “You have 11 guys all with a common goal, and if one guy does their job half wrong then the whole play is busted. … I just think when you’re in winter going through the hardest workouts of your life (and) you look to your left, to your right, you’re with your best friends. … And then fast-forward to … fall, and you go spring a big play and you look at the same guys. I just think that there’s no other sport that gives you that same reward feeling as football.”
A number of the draft’s top quarterbacks spoke at the combine on Friday, and while the Lions likely won’t have any interest in one of them before Day 3, we certainly won’t rule out the possibility that the Lions take another shot at adding a high-upside, low-cost backup via the draft. One of the players who could be available in the later rounds with some name recognition is Penn State’s Drew Allar. Allar’s draft stock was as high as could possibly be when he opted to return to Penn State for one more season, but he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in October, after the Nittany Lions’ title hopes were effectively dashed with two bad losses. Allar said he wouldn’t change a thing about his decision to go back to school, which should play some part in endearing him to teams that are considering drafting him.
“For me, there was a lot of things I wanted to accomplish at Penn State. First and foremost, that was winning the Big Ten championship and national championship,” Allar said. “Obviously, we fell short of those, but that was the main reason … I decided to go back, and honestly to get some more development and experience. I think experience is one of the quarterback’s best friends. The more pictures you can see throughout your college career, I feel that better prepares you for the NFL.”
Despite a ton of receiving production over the last two seasons (1,566 yards and 14 touchdowns), Tanner Koziol (Houston) said he wants to emphasizing making a difference as a run blocker at the next level, and he mentioned Washington Commanders tight end John Bates, a fourth-rounder in 2021 who inked a three-year extension worth $21 million last March, as someone he’d like to emulate. “With my frame, I want to be able to dominate the run game,” said Koziol (6-7, 245). “I think with the right technique, development and the right mindset going into it, I can dominate the run game. When you see a guy like Bates … 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. Being able to be that aspect at a tight end is really, really fun.”
Justin Joly (North Carolina State) promises he’s willing to do whatever is asked in the NFL, whether that means getting out in space and running routes or lining up attached to the offensive line and doing the necessary dirty work. He’s also willing to do his best impression of Kyle Juszczyk. “Put me in the backfield, let me be a fullback,” said Joly, who did receive some reps at fullback while in college. “I’ll be the lead back, I’ll put my face in somewhere and we’ll get that touchdown.” As a receiver, Joly (1,978 yards and 15 touchdowns over four seasons) said there isn’t a route he can’t run. “You put me on any route, I expect to win,” he said. “No matter if it’s a jump ball, a seam, a screen, a hitch, seam-ball, corner, out, dig. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.”
Most TEs at the combine will say they want teams to know they can block. Oscar Delp (Georgia), however, was sure to mention his pass-catching abilities. “I think I’m looked at as a blocking tight end,” Delp said. “But when I look at myself, I’m a receiving tight end that learned how to block. I’m a guy that can play everywhere on offense. I’m not a tight end that can only block. Like, I can get open, I can find zones, I can beat people in man.” Delp was consistent over his three years as a starter with the Bulldogs, posting between 248 and 261 receiving yards each season from 2023-25. He was pretty sure-handed throughout college, with three drops on 94 targets and a catch rate of 74.5%. Delp’s average yards per reception was 12.2, including an average of 6.6 yards after the catch.
But don’t get it twisted, he does love blocking. “There’s something just moving another dude against his will that just gets you fired up,” said Delp, a projected mid-rounder.
rsilva@detroitnews.com
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: NFL Combine observations: Should TE Kenyon Sadiq be on the table for Lions?
Reporting by Richard Silva and Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
