NFL Combine: 4 high-character tight ends that fit Detroit Lions
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Our NFL Combine recap series continues with Thursday’s media sessions focusing on the tight ends and defensive backs. My goal this week is to talk to some of the highest-character players at each position and offer some insight into their personalities based on those media sessions.
I caught up with four tight ends on Thursday. Here’s some insight into each:
Previously:
Note: I wanted to speak with Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, but he was a no-show within 90 minutes of the timeframe. This is relatively normal for the NFL Combine process, but I did not have any additional time to wait around.
Texas A&M TE Nate Boerkircher
Size: 6-foot-5, 247 pounds
Quick bio: A primarily blocking tight end, Boerkircher played four seasons at Nebraska before transferring to Texas A&M for the 2025 season. He posted career highs in just about every PFF category last season, including a rock-solid 72.2 PFF run blocking grade.
Current draft projection: Early Day 3
Combine vibes:
Boerkirkcher will definitely get dinged by some due to his lack of production as a receiver (19 catches, 198 yards, 3 TDs in 2025), and the tight end said teams have brought up that lack of production. But what he takes pride in is his motor.
“My toughness and my high motor,” Boerkircher said of his strengths. “I don’t have crazy stats, so that limited stats thing is brought up a little bit. We talk about that, but like I said, film shows what it needs to show. The film doesn’t lie.”
While Boerkircher said he hasn’t met Lions coach Dan Campbell yet—a fellow A&M tight end alumnus—he did walk past a photo of him every day in college and hopes to one day meet him.
Indiana TE Riley Nowakowski
Size: 6-foot-2, 239 pounds
Quick bio: Like Boerkircher, Nowakowski played four years at Wisconsin before posting a career year at Indiana in 2025. He posted a top-10 PFF grade while playing more tight end snaps than all but one player in the country. Went from walk-on to team captain at both Wisconsin and Indiana (rotating captain). Size could be an issue at the next level.
Current draft projection: Mid-to-late Day 3
Combine vibes:
Nowakowski takes pride in the physicality of his game, playing mostly in-line with Indiana, but also getting a fair amount of reps at H-back when the Hoosiers went to 12 personnel (PFF credits him with 26 backfield snaps). He played fullback more full-time at Wisconsin in 2022 (81 snaps)
“I just enjoy moving a man against his will,” Nowakowski said. “That’s something that I’ve always enjoyed, and whether it’s carrying the rock, blowing somebody up, or getting to block them out, that’s definitely what I enjoy.”
Nowakowski was very affable, happily sharing stories about Indiana coach Curt Cignetti (even did a great impression) and rewatching the National Championship Game with his teammates.
He also shared how he believes he’s got strong resilience. He started as a walk-on in Wisconsin, went through two position changes (linebacker to running back to tight end), and had to acclimate quickly to Indiana following his transfer.
“Through all of that, I just kinda stuck to what I knew, kept my head down, kept working,” Nowakowski said. “Just a lunchpail, hard-hat mentality. That’s what my parents raised me on.”
Stanford TE Sam Roush
Size: 6-foot-5, 259 pounds
Quick bio: Roush is a big, physical tight end whose receiving production increased in every year at Stanford (49 catches, 545 yards, 2 TDs in 2025). A team captain, Roush is considered smart, strong, and hard-working.
Current draft projection: Round 2-3
Combine vibes:
Note: Roush said he met informally with the Lions at the NFL Combine.
Roush immediately got brownie points by mentioning Lions tight end Sam LaPorta as a player he models his game after.
“I really love the way Sam LaPorta plays. I think he has great technique with his blocking, does a good job with his feet, hands. Obviously, he’s well known as a pass catcher, but he’s a little bit lighter than some of those other tight ends who really block, but I think he does it at a high level.”
He, too, talked about how his love of the game stems from physical domination.
“I love dominating another individual. We had a quote up in our locker room. It says, ‘There’s no greater feeling than moving a man from point A to point B against his will,’ and I want to embody it,” Roush said.
Michigan TE Marlin Klein
Size: 6-foot-6, 250 pounds
Quick bio: A German-born player who is still learning the sport, but earned his keep at Michigan and was even named captain in 2025. Needs more build on his frame, but has a blocking framework and untapped catching potential.
Current draft projection: Early Day 3
Combine vibes:
It didn’t take long into his media session for the Lions connections to come in. He said he met with the Lions on Wednesday night, and he also talked about the Germany connection to the Lions, both in terms of Amon-Ra St. Brown’s heritage and the recently announced international game to be played in Munich.
“My dream is to go back and play a game over there,” Klein said.
Beyond the Lions’ connection, Klein gave a great answer about the 2023 season. He was supposed to have a big role on offense, but Michigan added AJ Barner via the transfer portal, and the 2025 fourth-round pick took over his role. Klein admitted it was frustrating, but eventually said it was a blessing in disguise, because he got to watch how a professional operates.
“When they brought him in to start over me my sophomore year, I hated him,” Klein said. “I thought I was the man, I was supposed to play. They brought him in, he started. But looking back, it was the biggest blessing of my life. It was such a blessing to watch him work every single day, how he attacked the game of football, his life outside of football. ”
