The Detroit Lions might be one tight end injury away from seriously testing their depth, and that’s exactly why Stanford’s Sam Roush could quietly become one of the most interesting draft fits for them in 2026.
Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright are both coming off injuries. Neither is expected to be limited long-term, but when you’re building a Super Bowl-caliber roster, you don’t gamble at positions that are central to your offensive identity. And with new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing in town, tight end usage could be about to spike even further.
Sam Roush Detroit Lions
Petzing loves three-tight-end sets. He used them more than just about anyone during his time in Arizona, and his system thrives on versatile, physical tight ends who can block, leak out, and punish defenses in play-action. That’s where Roush fits the picture almost perfectly.
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At 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Roush is an old-school “Y” tight end, the kind who can line up in-line, seal the edge, chip an edge rusher, and still run a clean intermediate route. He’s not a flashy mismatch slot weapon like LaPorta, but that’s the point. He’s the grinder defenses hate dealing with when they’re already worried about Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs.
In 2025, Roush put together a quietly strong season at Stanford:
More importantly, scouts consistently describe him as:
A high-effort, high-motor player
Reliable hands on crossers, digs, and play-action routes
A natural fit for short-yardage, red-zone, and protection packages
Most draft boards currently slot him as a Day 3 pick (Rounds 5–7), though some evaluators believe a strong Senior Bowl week could push him into the 3rd or 4th round conversation. He’s already accepted his invitation to Mobile, and that’s where he’ll get the chance to show he can handle NFL edge defenders and linebackers one-on-one, the exact test that will define his ceiling.
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For Detroit, the appeal is obvious:
Insurance for LaPorta and Wright
A perfect fit for Petzing’s multi-TE personnel packages
A physical tone-setter in the run game
A low-cost, high-upside developmental piece
A former Team Captain at Stanford
A player who embodies Dan Campbell’s “lunch pail” culture
Roush may never be a fantasy football darling. But in real football terms? He’s the kind of tight end that helps you close out games, protect your quarterback, and punish teams in December and January.
And for a Lions team thinking about depth, durability, and doing the little things right, Sam Roush might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
The post Detroit Could Target This “Old-School” Tight End in the 2026 Draft appeared first on Detroit Sports Nation.