Dan Campbell details the Detroit Lions’ vision for Jackson Meeks, and Meeks talks about what he needs to nail down to make it happen
Detroit Lions have a very specific vision for Jackson Meeks at tight end. Dan Campbell explained what the team sees, and Meeks revealed the biggest key to making it work.
If you’ve been following our articles and videos this summer, then you know we’re pretty bullish on Jackson Meeks around here. On Wednesday, the Detroit Lions started training camp, and one of the big things we wanted to know was how for real is this switch to tight end for Meeks?
Well, we found out pretty quickly when we saw he’s listed as a tight end on all roster sheets. Then we wanted to know where Dan Campbell stands on it all.
“I think that’s what we want to find out. We want to find out if there’s something in there that he could be kind of this hybrid, you know, H-backed tight end, big slot, big skill. Felt like his skill set is can be showcased better at this role, at this position.” Campbell said. “Now, look, he’s going to have to do some dirty work. There’s no way around it in training camp for the reps, preseason games, but there’s things that we’ll ask him to do to see if he can do it. You know, we just felt like this gives him the best opportunity to be the type of player that he can be, but also maybe help us see if there is something there. So yes.”
This is a big switch for Meeks since it’s not something he’s done before. It required having to put on some weight and go from 210 pounds up to 235 pounds. Meeks said he got into creatine and lifting and, of course, mentioned that his mom and aunt helped him put on the weight with all the good food they were making this summer. He’s also been studying other players to get some idea of how to play the position.
“Yeah, a lot of “Devin” Funches. I’ve been watching the guy from the Cardinals, ’85 (Trey McBride). Can’t think of his name right now. I’ve been watching him a lot because that’s where you know Coach P (Drew Petzing) came from. So I’ve been watching him, McBride. Yeah. Who else have I been watching? Darren Waller. Watching a lot of Waller. I honestly just like those higher position tight ends. I think it’s more so for me. It’s more so getting the physical aspect of it. Not necessarily watching it. It’s more going out there doing it, going out there, walk-through, going out there. You know, actually getting the reps in it. So muscle memory really helps me more.”
Meeks is going to get a summer full of muscle memory at the position this summer, and one of the big things he’s going to need to add to his game is proficiency as a blocker. The good news is that he has confidence that he can do it.
“You ask me, I feel like I’m a great blocker. But at the end of the day, I know blocking is all mindset, and I know the end of the day I’m a fight. I’m not gonna give up. So blocking is all mindset for me, and I feel like as long as I go out there and I try my hardest to block, try my hardest to get in the way for as long as possible, because I am giving up some weight out there, but at the end of the day, I’m lower too. So I’m naturally lower than them. So just being able to get up under them and try to get as much movement as possible. Like I got Jahmyr Gibbs and Isaiah Pacheco back there. I don’t got to get too much movement because they can take it 80, 90.
We’ll see what happens, but day one was a good first day for Meeks. Let’s see him build upon that.
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