Now here’s a fit for the Lions to pay attention to in free agency

Exactly the kind of player Campbell and Petzing like

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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What are the things that we know about new Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing? We know he loves the run game, and we know that he loves multiple tight end sets. That has made finding tight end depth one of the priorities this offseason. That and the Lions’ lack of depth was really exposed this season.

What do we know about Dan Campbell? As a former tight end, he likes big dudes who can block in the pass game and guys who can make plays and are hard to tackle. There’s a guy who just hit the market who fits both of the needs Petzing and Campbell have.

The Lions should have their sights set on former Browns tight end David Njoku once free agency starts

On Monday, Njoku took to Instagram to announce that after nine seasons in Cleveland, he will not be returning to the Browns in 2026. The Lions should be his next destination, and let’s talk about a few reasons why.

As we mentioned in the opening paragraph, Petzing likes two and three-tight end sets. Having two guys in Njoku and Sam LaPorta who can make things happen in the pass game off those sets is kind of a necessity to make it work the best it can.

The Rams with Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee, and the Steelers with Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, and Jonnu Smith are another. Just go back and watch what these sets did to the Lions this season. You’ll get the vision.

It’s also fair to note that at this point, we don’t know what the timetable is for LaPorta. Back injuries can be tough. The last we knew, Campbell said they were hoping to get him back for training camp. We might learn a little more about that as the Combine and OTAs are around the corner. That’s more opportunities to ask about it.

We also mentioned pass blocking. Njoku has been really good at it for a while. This is a guy who is regularly posting annual grades in the 70s. He’s been phenomenal at it, and it’s the thing that makes him fit the most in Detroit. The fact that he can be a playmaker is just a bonus.

So what kind of contract should you expect Njoku to get? Being that he’ll be 30 this season and he has had some injury issues in the last two seasons, a two-year deal worth $9 million with $4.5 million of that guaranteed is right up the alley of Brad Holmes and the Lions.

You can even front that 4.5 million in the first year, so if things don’t work out, you can part with him before the second year. But I would bet that they would work out. Keep an eye on this one.

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