The Lions may have turned a one-game emergency into a possible full-time plan for 2026
Detroit Lions may be expanding a late-season experiment. What started as a one-game emergency is quietly turning into something more, with a potential new role taking shape as training camp approaches.
The Detroit Lions did something interesting out of complete necessity late in the season last year. With all of their tight ends injured, they needed to put someone out there to fill in. Instead of grabbing a free agent tight end, they threw undrafted rookie wide receiver Jackson Meeks in there.
Jackson Meeks might be moving to tight end full-time before you know it
This was expected to be a one-time thing, but then the Lions continued to work him with the tight ends at practice for the rest of the year. We never got to see him do it in a game again. Now this summer at OTAs, Meeks is again working with the Lions’ tight ends during positional drills.
As we head towards training camp, you have to wonder what Detroit plans to do with him. He’s a bigger receiver in height, but the weight is a little lower than you’d like there at 218 pounds. But you can see how the Lions could do a Devin Funchess-like move with him and have him be an additional receiving tight end.
There’s also the chance that Detroit sees him as another positionless weapon. A guy they can have at tight end in certain situations, and receiver in others. This may be his best shot to land a spot on the roster, with the receiver room being pretty full right now. At minimum, it’s his chance to land on the practice squad again.
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