The Lions could get a running back, wide receiver, tight end, and fullback by drafting just one player late in the 2026 NFL Draft

The Lions love positional versatility. What about a guy who can play four different positions and you can get him late day three?

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Navy’s Eli Heidenreich (22) rushes with the ball during the Liberty Bowl game against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Jan. 2, 2026 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn.
Navy’s Eli Heidenreich (22) rushes with the ball during the Liberty Bowl game against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Jan. 2, 2026 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn. © Stu Boyd II-The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Maybe you’ve noticed it before. I keep doing these 7-round Detroit Lions Mock drafts, and I keep drafting the same guy in the seventh round. I know this guy has noticed.

He’s right. Every year, I pick my favorite guy in the draft, and this year I think it’s safe to say it’s this guy.

Navy’s Eli Heidenreich may be my favorite player in the 2026 NFL Draft

Here’s the thing. This really all goes back to the 2016 NFL Draft. That year, there was a player named Dan Vitale who wound up getting drafted by the Buccaneers in the sixth round.

Vitale played a position at Northwestern called Superback. It’s a position that they created, and not every team has. A superback is a combination of a running back, fullback, tight end, and slot receiver. It’s the ultimate Swiss army knife player. Not a lot of guys can play this role. Oddly, the NFL doesn’t adopt it. That’s why Vitale only played four seasons and was only used as a fullback.

The thing about the Lions is that they are one of the teams that probably would use it. That’s why Heidenreich is the perfect guy to come in and fill that role. He is a jack of all trades.

In 2025, he ran for 499 yards and three touchdowns and caught 51 balls for 941 yards and six touchdowns. He did all of this from the fullback position for Navy, but he was definitely a superback. On top of those things, he proved to be a good pass blocker and run blocker, too.

The best NFL comparisons are 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk or Giants fullback Patrick Ricard. Two guys who are exceptional run blockers, but can also be solid in the pass game, like tight ends. Think of Heidenreich in that way, but he can also work in the slot as a receiver and catch passes out of the backfield. There isn’t much he can’t do.

The best part is that Heidenreich is going in the fifth round tops. He’s much more likely to fall into the sixth round or seventh round because he’s more of a specialty player, and he doesn’t fit every offense. If I’m Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, I’m adding yet another wrinkle to the offense with this Midshipman.

I know there’s some concern about his military commitment with the Navy, but that is not a thing anymore, like it was with David Robinson all those years ago. Now players can get drafted, and there is an exception that allows these players to defer their service and play in the NFL. They then become part of the reserves. They can also rejoin the military once their pro careers end.

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