One of the top tight ends in the 2023 NFL draft is a big fan of the Detroit Lions, and it’s all because of what he saw on TV.
“The limited knowledge I have is from watching ‘Hard Knocks,’ and Dan Campbell just seems like a great coach,” Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave told the Free Press at the Senior Bowl in February. “Just a hard-nosed football coach that I’m used to. I think that would suit me. Obviously, a lot of teams would suit me. But yeah, Lions are awesome. I like the mascot, too.”
Campbell and the Lions were featured on last season’s “Hard Knocks,” the HBO docuseries that chronicles an NFL team’s training camp every summer.
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Campbell was a central figure in several episodes, endearing himself to fans across the league with his passionate demeanor and straightforward approach with players.
Musgrave said he came away from the series thinking Campbell would be a coach he would enjoy playing for.
“Down to earth, hard-nosed guy,” he said. “A football player.”
A potential top-50 pick, Musgrave is one of the best dual-threat tight ends in a draft considered deep at the position.
Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, Georgia’s Darnell Washington, Utah’s Dalton Kincaid and Iowa’s Sam LaPorta also are potential top-50 picks.
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The nephew of Bill Musgrave, the former NFL coach, Musgrave caught 11 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown last season before a foot injury ended his year after two games. In 2021, he had 22 catches for 304 yards, blocked a punt (and scored on the return) on special teams and was a key cog in an Oregon State offense that averaged nearly 200 yards rushing per game.
“I think I (can be) an every-down tight end, somebody that’s going to be able to stretch the field but then stay in there for the run blocking,” Musgrave said. “Hopefully force a team to have to play nickel and then we can go run all over them. That’d be the goal, is to be good enough at the pass game to make a team forced to play nickel and then go run all over them.”
The Lions spent a fifth-round pick on Virginia Tech tight end James Mitchell last spring, but could be in the market for more help at the position this year after trading tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings at last year’s trade deadline.
Mitchell caught 11 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown in limited action after he missed most of training camp while recovering from a 2021 knee injury. The Lions set a franchise record with 12 touchdown catches by tight ends last season, including three by Hockenson and four each by Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra.
Musgrave said he wasn’t too familiar with the Lions personnel, but he had a good meeting with the team at the Senior Bowl and has a favorable opinion from “Hard Knocks.”
“The Lions are awesome,” he said. “I like the area and I like the Lions, good offense. And I like Campbell.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
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