March 21, 2026, 9:11 a.m. ET
This offseason, the Lions signed Cade Mays to be the starter at center. For his backup, picking one up late in the draft might be a good idea. Jager Burton projects to be available in the later rounds and could be a good choice for the Lions with his low-moderate medical concern level.
Here is the excerpt of my medical report on Burton:
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Jager Burton, C (24) – Kentucky
Projected round 5-7. Mocked to Lions in 6th round by Jeff Risdon.
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Concern level 3/10
Could the Jager “Meister” solve the Lions center quandary in the late rounds? (I have no idea… if that’s his actual nickname.)
Burton has generally been reliable but has missed games in 2 of the past 3 seasons. Reassuringly, he played all games in 2025.
His age is also a concern, but for a late-round pick, the extra experience can be viewed as a positive.
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