Eric Ebron was a Top 10 pick in this year’s NFL draft, but in Detroit, he’s a third-stringer.
At least, he’s a third stringer on the team’s unofficial depth chart, where Brandon Pettigrew is the first-string tight end and -- in a bit of a surprise -- Joseph Fauria is the second-string tight end. Ebron is the third-string tight end.
The reality is, however you rank them on the depth chart, all three tight ends could get a lot of playing time in the offense run by new head coach coach Jim Caldwell and new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. Ebron may technically be third on the depth chart, but he also could find himself on the field in the base offense quite a bit. The Lions may even use all three tight ends on the field at the same time in some situations.
Among the other noteworthy positions on the Lions is the running back spot, where Reggie Bush is first, followed by Joique Bell, Mikel Leshoure and Theo Riddick. But the reality is that Bush and Bell are more like co-starters, while Riddick will likely see more playing time than Leshoure, a former second-round pick who hasn’t done much in Detroit.