Analyzing the opponent: Ranking NFC North Tight End Groups

Who has the best Tight End group in the division?

As we enter the dog days of the offseason it is time to turn our attention to the season coming. For this series, we will examine every position group in the NFC North and see where the Bears group of players fit in. This will include depth as well as top end talent. This should be a good exercise to see where the Bears stand in both depth and talent, then look back at the end of the season and see who exceeded or failed to meet expectations. For the first position, we will look at tight end.

4. Lions

Eric Ebron, Darren Fells, Michael Roberts, Cole Wick

Of all the teams in the NFC North, the Lions have the most questions. Eric Ebron was a former first round pick but has hardly lived up to that potential. He was essentially useless as a run blocker and should be looked at strictly as a big slot receiver. While Ebron was effective as a receiver, it still only amounted in one touchdown. Still, while he has not lived up to his draft status he is a complimentary player, but they need a better tight end one than him.

Fells is likely not the answer. Fells was a better blocker, and in that sense, he will be a nice compliment to Ebron. However, he is not a big pass catcher and signed a low-risk, one-year deal this year in free agency for a reason. He is not an impact player and will not be in Detroit.

These questions lead to the Lions drafting Roberts. Roberts, despite being a mid round draft pick may end up as the most consistent tight end on the team by the end of the season. Roberts has the combination of a skilled pass catcher with and long arms in the red zone. He is also one of the better blockers in the class as well. The depth of the tight end class pushed him down the list, but he may be a threat worth looking into.