Lions Tight End ‘up and Down’ in Early Camp Position Battle

The Detroit Lions have the makings of a pair of solid tight ends in T.J. Hockenson and Darren Fells, but beyond that, there’s an opening for a new player to enter the mix.

Detroit probably wants to see a third player assert themselves at the spot for good overall depth this season at the position, and they are looking for someone to stand out more as the team gets going during training camp.

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So far, there’s been only one problem. There might not be a player commanding that attention as of yet on the roster. As Chris Burke of The Athletic has observed in practices, offseason signing Alize Mack has been a bit inconsistent with his early camp work, which could beg the question of if he will be the guy to earn a role with the group in the end.

Beyond Mack, the Lions have Brock Wright, Hunter Thedford, Jake Hausmann and Charlie Taumoepeau fighting for a roster spot or potential practice squad role. None of those players seem to have jumped off the page early in camp so far either in terms of making headlines, meaning there could be a lot of work to be done in the days ahead for the tight end group.

Dan Campbell coached tight ends in New Orleans and is a former player at the spot himself, so he will likely want to see the effort be strong overall at this position on the team top to bottom. In the end, Mack might still command a spot, but the team will want him to find a level of consistency if this is to be the case.

Alize Mack’s College Stats and Highlights

Coming out of Notre Dame, Mack was a solid and dependable tight end who was known for making key plays for the Fighting Irish. In his three-year college career, Mack caught 68 passes for 716 yards and 4 touchdowns. While that might not seem like a lot, plenty of the catches were clutch, including notable ones in the rivalry games against USC. Mack came into the league as an intriguing prospect in 2019, and while he didn’t make the Saints, he managed to get looks from the Pittsburgh Steelers and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs with regards to the practice squad.

Here’s a look at some of his better college highlights:

A physical player, Mack has the ability and strength to pick up blocks. It makes up for what he might lack in straight-line speed. He also is clearly capable of making big catches from time to time given his soft hands. This is what the Lions want to see out of him moving forward.

Lions Have Decent Tight End Depth for 2021

The Lions have the makings of a solid group at tight end, and that’s been proven true given the fact that the team has T.J. Hockenson in the mix. Behind him, the team signed Darren Fells to the roster, who’s been a stable veteran player in the league that also has enjoyed some Detroit roots in his career. The Lions elected to release Hunter Bryant and Jesse James earlier this offseason, and lost a player to an abrupt retirement in Josh Hill. Knowing these changes, the team will want to see someone capable step into the third role for 2021.

It seemed coming into camp Mack could be a good depth buy for the Lions, considering the fact that Campbell will know him from his time in New Orleans as tight end coach. Hockenson and Fells figure to be a solid 1-2 punch at the spot, so Mack could be a guy that has a chance to crack the roster when all is said and done in Detroit.

In order for this to happen, he might need to step up a bit more in the weeks ahead.

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