Getty Brock Wright runs for a score with the Lions 2022.
It’s casual analysis to assume the Detroit Lions’ tight end position comes down to the performance of T.J. Hockenson, but quietly, there are several other interesting players on the team capable of making a big impact.
One such player showed his stuff late last season in the form of Brock Wright, an undrafted free agent. Pressed into duty thanks to injury, Wright showed up and showed out for the Lions, and as a result, figures to earn a long look at the position this offseason for the team.
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Speaking to the media on Monday, June 13, tight end coach Tanner Engstrand singled out Wright as a player that has impressed him on the team. As he said, his rise to roster inclusion has been a big bonus for the Lions and a tribute to his success.
“A young guy like Brock (Wright) last year. I mean he kind of came into OTA’s last year (and) nobody really knew much about him. Shoot, he starts the last like eight games of the year or something like that. He did a heck of a job and and it’s a credit to him, just really of his hard work and his ability to absorb information and be a coachable kid. He’s just done a phenomenal job for us in general,” Engstrom told the media.
Wright impressed down the stretch for the Lions with T.J. Hockenson hurt to the tune of 117 yards and 2 touchdowns, and as a result, could be pressing for a bigger role this year. That could happen given some of the team’s other roster realities this season.
Engstrand Sees Multiple Tight Ends as Must for Lions
This offseason, the Lions haven’t managed to make many additions at tight end. The team signed Garrett Gilbert who is more of a blocker. They also added Devin Funchess to the mix, a move that could help the team’s ability to catch passes and make a few more big plays. Also, draft pick James Mitchell figures to help with this as well once he is healthy. All the uncertainty could vault a guy like Wright close to the top early this offseason. This could point to Wright
As Engstrand knows, having multiple players who can make big plays at the spot is very important given what it can do to stress a defense and help out an offense.
“I think it’s very valuable when you can play with multiple tight ends on the field,” he said. “It really kind of puts the stress on the defense, I think especially if you have guys that can flex into different areas per-se where you can get them into a nickel defense and we’ve got 12 personnel or two tight ends on the field. Maybe we can take advantage of the defense in a certain way that way as opposed to maybe a different defense that they may have out there. If they were in say a base defense and maybe we have a really good pass catching tight end such as T.J. (Hockenson), we can go ahead and attack a defense that way and just and create those those match-ups that we want when those guys are on the field.”
Wright has already proven he could be that guy for the Lions, and figures to be an important part of the matchup mix for the team if he can keep working hard and earning his worth.
Wright’s Career Stats & Highlights
To say that the touchdowns to Wright last season were surprising would be an understatement. The rookie tight end was not on most scouting reports considering he was more of a blocker in college at Notre Dame with 78 yards and only 1 touchdown to his credit statistically. He showed some impressive hands with the nice grab on the toss from Jared Goff against Minnesota, and would finish with 117 yards and 2 touchdowns last year.
Here’s a look at the score:
Asked to describe the catch in an interview posted to DetroitLions.com, Wright said that the throw was in a tough window, but he made the play after a great pass.
“It was tight, it was the perfect throw by Jared (Goff) and you know, he played so well today, all of us played a complementary game and it feels awesome to be a pat of that win,” he said at the time.
In the future, Wright could be a part of more big plays, especially if his coaches have anything to say about his involvement. Already, he’s generating some elite buzz for continuing to remain a big part of the mix.
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Underrated Lions Tight End Earns Praise for ‘Phenomenal Job’ Thus Far