Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has been praising the depth and quality of his roster throughout the offseason. Calling it one of the best groups he has ever had since arriving in Detroit, Campbell will have a ton of difficult decisions to make before the season. There will be plenty of intense position battles in training camp, and second-year playmaker Jackson Meeks may be giving Campbell yet another one.
After he signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent last season, Meeks was a surprise bright spot during the preseason. He caught 11 of 12 passes in four preseason games, putting up 176 yards and two touchdowns. This emergence out of nowhere caught the eye of Lions fans and the coaching staff, but it wasn't enough to earn him a spot on the final roster.
He ended up on the practice squad, but didn't get many opportunities. He was elevated to the active roster for two games but was almost exclusively used on special teams.
Heading into his second season, Meeks has gone through a transformation and has been taking snaps at tight end throughout the spring and summer. He was told by Campbell at the end of last season that the team wanted him to play tight end full-time in OTAs, and Meeks spent the offseason bulking up, per Dave Birkett of Detroit Free Press.
Jackson Meeks is giving his all to make the Lions' roster
Meeks went above and beyond what the coaching staff asked of him. He gained 20 pounds and arrived in the spring in the 230-to-235 pound range, significantly stronger than what Campbell reportedly asked of him.
So far, he has been reaping the rewards. After a couple of nice catches on Tuesday, Meeks had an impressive touchdown catch for the second-team offense in Wednesday's practice, per Lions.com's Tim Twentyman, who included Meeks on his "5 players who impressed at Lions minicamp" list.
Standing at six-foot-two and 235 pounds, Meeks is still on the smaller side for an NFL tight end. His strong hands and ability to make catches in traffic, however, could help turn him into a backup TE for the Lions.
Meeks said that ending minicamp with a TD catch was a confidence boost, before adding that he feels good about the position change: "It definitely feels good...Whatever it takes, but I definitely feel good. Just excited to work, just happy I’m getting an opportunity to play football."
It's not like Meeks has a clear path to a roster spot at TE. The Lions have Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, and Tyler Conklin ahead of him in the pecking order. But the fact that Conklin didn't participate in minicamp could open up an opportunity for Meeks.
Meeks making the team as a receiver shouldn't be ruled out, either. His versatility could give him an advantage over the rest of the receivers, like Dominic Lovett and Cedrick Wilson Jr. Regardless of where he ends up on the depth chart, it's clear that Meeks is doing everything he can to carve out a role for himself.
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