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10 tight ends the Detroit Lions could target in the 2019 Draft The Detroit Lions have not had the best of luck with tight ends. They drafted two first-round tight ends in the last decade and neither of them ended up working out. To make matters worse Womens Graham Glasgow Jersey , every free agent they’ve signed at the position has either had injury issues or been a disappointment. It’s a sad sign that the best tight end they’ve had in the Matthew Stafford era was actually a receiver in Anquan Boldin. The team isn’t likely to address the position early in the 2019 draft despite the weakness of their unit and pending free agencies of most of the group, but we’re going to look at some of the more notable prospects anyway so you can keep an eye on them through the draft process. Noah Fant, Iowa Fant is the top prospect at tight end this year for most evaluators and it’s pretty easy to see why. Like most Iowa prospects, his blocking is very good, though given his size (islted at 235 pounds at tight end) is going to make projecting him problematic. Fant combines elite-level athletic traits with superb route running and soft hands to make himself a viable target and dangerous weapon on every play. Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri If you’re not a believer in the uber athletic, wide receiver like pass catchers of today’s NFL and are in the mood for a more traditional type of do-it-all, then you’ll probably be quickly enamored with Albert Okwuegbunam. Big, athletic, powerful, and bringing a mean streak that’s tough to contend with, Okwuegbunam is a redshirt sophomore that is likely going to tear up the combine and leave teams speechless. He’s not going to have it easy in the SEC, but I’d be surprised he isn’t in first-round discussions all year.Caleb Wilson, UCLA Wilson is another in what will likely be a long line of big receivers who make their living running up the seam and stretching defenses vertically. Good length, but lacking in bulk, Wilson looks like he has above average speed and explosion but struggles when running any breaking routes, hinting at some stiffness and lack of agility. Teams looking to free up the short middle and deep boundaries of the field by forcing the linebackers back and the safeties inward could do a lot worse than Wilson.Tommy Sweeney, Boston College Boston College does a ton of running and uses their TE primarily in that area. Sweeney is plus in that area, though I haven’t gone into a deep dive yet for film. As a route runner Miles Killebrew Jersey , Sweeney isn’t very refined, but he gets the job done. He’s shown fairly reliable hands and good production, making him fairly easy to project in the NFL. He looks like a plus athlete, but I’ll need more tape to be sure because of how he was utilized.Kaden Smith, Stanford Kaden Smith showcased some decent speed and athletic ability, but what sets him apart from the other tight ends in this class is his phenomenal body control and strong hands. Not comparing the two as players overall, but it reminds me of how Anquan Boldin would rip the ball out the air, owning the football the moment it came in his vicinity and daring you to try and take it away. Athletically, he’s not the most exciting, but he’s one whose tape I’m itching to dig into more.C.J. Conrad, Kentucky Conrad was a big time high school recruit, but he’s mostly just been a background character in Kentucky’s passing game. A reliable pass catcher with good blocking skills, Conrad was the first tight end I watched that was clearly lacking in the athletic tools department. He could find a role in the NFL, but it’s not likely to be as a field stretcher or dynamic pass catcher. Matt Sokol, Michigan State Fans always love local talent, and Sokol is likely going to be one of those guys who gets over-projected by the fan base (don’t get mad, we do this every year, guys). He looks very good from an athletic standpoint, and he’ll probably be a swift riser on many boards post-Combine. His hands and route running aren’t the best Womens T.J. Jones Jersey , but we’ve got plenty of season yet to put his name into Day 2 consideration. Tyler Petite, USC The most recent in a long line of USC prospects, Petite has had decent, if unspectacular, production for the Trojans. Good size and looking like he has plus athletic traits, Petite could be another all-around tight end in this class. Not as flashy as some of the other top guys, I think Petite is more likely headed for a late Day 2 or early Day 3 selection. He’s just the type of versatile player the Lions coaching staff keeps talking about.Logan Parker, Southern Utah It seems like every season we have some small school, uber athletic tight end making waves when the Combine rolls around. This season, the smart money is on Logan Parker to be that guy, and the little bit of tape I’ve seen shows some strong athletic traits that should get teams salivating once he puts up big numbers. Tape will probably still be hard to find at season’s end, coming from where he does, but I recommend watching any you can as the draft starts to near.Aliz茅 Mack, Notre DameHis production prior to this year doesn’t look flashy, but Mack has a lot of tools that teams are going to like once they start projecting for the NFL. You’re looking more at a mid-to-late round guy at the moment, but he’s one that I think you’ll see mocked a lot higher once he puts up his athletic testing. He’s not someone who will save your team off the bat, but he’s an intriguing developmental guy nonetheless. When the 2018 NFL schedule was released in the spring, Atlanta's trip to Pittsburgh on the first Sunday in October looked like a potential Super Bowl preview.Then September happened and the lofty preseason expectations evaporated, replaced by an unruly and unpredictable reality.Pittsburgh All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell extended his franchise-tag induced sabbatical indefinitely Darius Slay Jersey White , wide receiver Antonio Brown couldn't stop making headlines for things that had little to do with football , and the revamped secondary spent far too much time chasing opponents to the end zone. Atlanta, meanwhile, couldn't stop sending defensive starters to the trainer's room or finding excruciating ways to drop close games .The Steelers (1-2-1) and the Falcons (1-3) both stress panicking with three quarters of the season to go is unwise even with both clubs in highly competitive divisions."(We) don't want to look down the road about things that are two or three weeks away," Atlanta coach Dan Quinn said. "The mindset of just own now man, own this week."Maybe Quinn should settle for his team owning the final minutes. Atlanta has led in the fourth quarter in each of its three losses. At least the Falcons have been close. The Steelers, not so much. Pittsburgh has not held the lead at any point in each of its last three games at Heinz Field."Last year we kind of started a little sloppy, too, so you know you guys can look at records all you want, we're not," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "We're looking at this next week and trying to get a win because that's all that really matters."Roethlisberger is right. Sort of.The Steelers have been sluggish in September under coach Mike Tomlin but round into form as the days grow shorter and the temperature drops. Tomlin is 30-13 in October in his career, and a year ago Pittsburgh began a sluggish 3-2, then ripped off eight straight wins on its way to a second consecutive AFC North title.Not that Tomlin's players are looking for comfort in the idea that they've been here before and gotten it together in time to reach the postseason."I want to be great all the way around," Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey said. "I don't even like assumptions like that."Considering the state of Pittsburgh's defense, that might be wise.The Steelers are 30th in yards allowed, 26th in points allowed and now face Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, wide receiver Julio Jones and breakout rookie receiver Calvin Ridley. It's the NFL equivalent of flunking an algebra test and getting thrown into trigonometry class anyway."They're a juggernaut," Pittsburgh defensive end Cam Heyward said. "I told my guys, what a way to start the second quarter of the season by beating a good team like that.'"JULIO'S SCORING DROUGHTJones leads the NFL with 502 yards receiving. But he's still looking for his first touchdown catch. Meanwhile Barry Sanders Jersey White , Ridley leads the NFL with six scoring grabs and his three TD receptions against the Saints two weeks ago matched Jones' total for the entire 2017 season.So where's the red-zone love for Jones?"His production is through the roof," Ryan said. "... He's going to find the end zone. People are accounting for him and are continuing to account for him even with the production of other guys. So he stays unselfish when he gets his opportunities and makes plays; nobody plays harder than him. We'd love for him to get in the end zone, but we have to find ways to get into the end zone whoever it is, and he's 100 percent on board with that, too."A DO RUN RUN?While Bell told ESPN this week he plans to end his standoff by the end of the month, it will be up to James Conner and the offensive line to help get Pittsburgh's uneven running game in order until Bell eventually arrives. The Steelers ran 11 times for 19 yards last week against Baltimore, the fifth-lowest single-game rushing total in franchise history.Running effectively — whoever is doing the running — would help the Steelers control the clock and take some of the pressure off Pittsburgh's defense."I know everybody wants to see the run game and trust me, as an offensive lineman, we want to see it too," Pouncey said. "It's early in the season, things will come along."SACKS FOR TAKKFalcons defensive end Takk McKinley is enjoying a breakout season with five sacks, including three for a loss of 29 yards in last week's loss to the Bengals."It's great to see a man who still loves just putting on his helmet and going after the quarterback," said defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, who said McKinley's spirit "enlightens everyone."McKinley ranked fourth among rookies in 2017 with six sacks.COMING AND GOINGAtlanta expects to have running back Devonta Freeman available. Freeman missed the last three games with a sore right knee. Pittsburgh's secondary could get a boost from the return of cornerback Mike Hilton, who sat last week with a right elbow issue, and veteran safety Morgan Burnett, who has been slowed by a groin problem.AP Sports Writer Charles Odum contributed to this report.