Tyler Conklin, electric tight end poised to lead in 2023!

Tyler Conklin was one of the steadiest tight ends in the NFL for most of this decade, catching 50-plus passes for four straight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets from 2021-24. Conklin's production dropped dramatically last fall in a seven-catch season with the Los Angeles Chargers, but the Michigan native is confident he still has plenty of good football left in him as the new No. 3 tight end for his hometown team.

"I think I can definitely be very productive in the pass game still," Conklin said Tuesday, March 17, after officially signing his one-year free-agent deal with the Detroit Lions . "I think just 'cause one situation didn't quite work out the way anybody wanted it doesn't mean you just, like, can't do it anymore. " MOCK DRAFT 2.

0: Lions swing on offense with upside pick A L'Anse Creuse North and Central Michigan product who played as a backup his first three seasons in the NFL, Conklin averaged 58 catches and 554 yards during his final season with the Vikings and three more seasons with the Jets before signing a one-year deal with the Chargers last spring. He said his statistical dip last year – he caught just seven passes on 10 targets for 101 yards despite appearing in 13 games – was due in part to the Chargers' philosophy of using their tight ends in very specific roles. Oronde Gadsden had 664 yards receiving as the Chargers' primary pass-catching tight end.

Defensive lineman Scott Matlock doubled as a fullback in obvious blocking situations. And Will Dissly opened the season in a supporting role before missing eight games with injury. "I’ve always prided myself on trying to be ...