Detroit Lions 2026 training camp preview: How many TEs will make the roster?

In this installment of our Detroit Lions 2026 training camp preview series, we examine the Lions’ tight end room, speculate on current and future roles, and discuss how many players from this group could make the 53-man roster.

Previous training camp previews:

• Quarterback: Can Luke Altmyer force a QB3 role?
• Running back: How RB roles could shift in 2026
• Wide receiver: WR depth roles up for grabs

Roster construction

Under the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime, the Lions have been inconsistent with the number of tight ends on the active roster, initially using a fullback early in their tenures but opting for TE/H-backs in recent seasons.

Let’s take a look at what they’ve done in the previous five seasons:

• 2021: Mainly deployed just two tight ends and a fullback (Jason Cabinda) on the active roster, along with another two on the practice squad.
• 2022: Opened with four tight ends on the roster before reducing to three and re-adding a fullback (Cabinda returned from IR) mid-season.
• 2023: Opened the season with three tight ends and a fullback, but when Cabinda landed on IR, the Lions only replaced him with a fourth tight end for a few games before returning to just three for the majority of the season—leaning on a variety of players to play an H-back role.
• 2024: Opted for three tight ends, and eliminated the fullback role.
• 2025: Consistently kept three tight ends on the roster throughout the season, despite dealing with a plethora of injuries, including losing their top three tight ends.

Prepping for 13 personnel

While Rams’ coach Sean McVay gets most of the love surrounding the NFL’s increased usage of 13 personnel (1 running back, three tight ends, and 1 receiver), it was actually Lions new offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing, who started the trend a few years back when he was in Arizona. By using this “heavier” skill-set-based look, offenses can give defenses confusing looks and create mismatches to their advantage.

Here’s an excerpt from Pride of Detroit’s interview with Petzing, discussing 13 personnel:

“If you have three tight ends that don’t have a multiple skill set, you’re not going to do it. Because the key is the matchups. When you have guys that can do a lot of different things, you can start to dictate things based on what the defense wants to do.

“I think as the game has evolved defensively over the last 5-7 years, you’re starting to see more and more different defensive personnels. It’s not just, ‘Hey, we’ve got base. Hey, we’ve got nickel. Here we go, this is it.’ You’re seeing different variations of base, different variations of nickel…

“Now, in 13 personnel, you have to be able to deal with everybody in the box and multiple gaps that you weren’t ready to account for. And then if you get big, I can spread things out and create people that you don’t want to...