Former North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron told a team he recently visited that he expects to be drafted by the Detroit Lions.
The Lions hold the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL draft and are reportedly in strong consideration of drafting a receiver, perhaps former Texas A&M star Mike Evans. But with his gifted receiving skills and potential as a slot tight end, Ebron could be what Detroit is looking for in a receiving weapon, even if not technically a wide receiver.
Ebron's expectation was reported at mmqb.si.com.
It certainly would come as no surprise to NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks, who projected Ebron to be the Lions' choice in an April 15 update to his mock draft.
That Ebron believes he'll be taken by Detroit is certainly no assurance -- frequently, players reveal after they are drafted that their new teams showed little pre-draft interest -- but it would figure to be a strong indicator of the feedback Ebron, and/or his agent Bus Cook, have received from the club. The Lions' most productive tight end last season was Brandon Pettigrew, who made 41 catches for 416 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Detroit re-signed Pettigrew in free agency for four years at $16 million, although that wouldn't necessarily preclude Ebron as a draft pick if the club planned to use Pettigrew more in a hand-on-ground blocking role.
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