Detroit Lions 2026 Roster Bubble: Tight Ends

Sam LaPorta will enter the 2026 season as the undisputed No. 1 tight end on the Lions’ roster.

He’s more than earned it with the strong start he’s had to his NFL career. Through three seasons, the Iowa product has accumulated 186 receptions, 2,104 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Yet, it’s a bit unclear who will be the team’s No. 2 tight end this upcoming season.

While Brock Wright has served that role the last few seasons, he’ll face stiff competition for the gig in training camp from offseason acquisition Tyler Conklin.

Wright is coming off a 14-catch, 108-yard season, while Conklin recorded a seven-catch, 101-yard campaign with the L.A. Chargers a season ago. Wright also secured two touchdown catches in 2025.

Conklin, a local product who played his high school ball at L’Anse Creuse North and spent his college career at Central Michigan, was inked to a one-year deal by Detroit general manager Brad Holmes in March.

Conklin is very much a capable pass-catching tight end, although there is a bit of concern with the Chesterfield, Mich., native entering his age-31 season. In fact, he was reportedly a healthy scratch with the Chargers on multiple occasions last season.

Still, he provides the Lions with a safety valve in case the injury bug rears its ugly head a second consecutive season for LaPorta. The Pro Bowler suffered a season-ending back injury in Week 10 of last season.

It certainly won’t be easy for Wright, who’s been a member of the Lions since 2021, to maintain his grip on the backup TE job.

Roster bubble

Second-year pro Jackson Meeks, an undrafted free agent a year ago, will also have a chance to make the Lions’ roster out of camp.

Meeks, who lined up at wide receiver at the University of Georgia and Syracuse, has converted to tight end. He noticeably logged reps at the position during OTAs and mandatory minicamp this spring.

The 23-year-old was signed to a reserve/futures contract in January, after spending the 2025 season primarily on Detroit’s practice squad. He was brought up to the active roster twice last season, logging five total snaps on offense and another 23 on special teams.

He has an uphill battle to crack the Lions’ 53-man roster. However, with a strong showing in camp, he might just shock the masses and earn a spot on the roster, vying with Conklin and Wright for snaps at tight end.

Rounding out the TE position on the team’s training camp roster will be Miles Kitselman, Zach Horton and Thomas Gordon.

Of those three final tight ends, Kitselman – an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee – likely has the best chance to make a name for himself and capture a spot on Detroit’s season-opening practice squad.

Add us as a preferred source on Google