The Detroit Lions raised a few eyebrows by not selecting a tight end with any of their seven picks during the 2026 NFL Draft. However, the team quickly addressed the position afterward by signing Tennessee Volunteers tight end Miles Kitselman as an undrafted free agent.

Shortly after the draft, The Athletic released a breakdown highlighting one undrafted free agent to watch from each NFL roster, with Kitselman earning attention for Detroit. In the evaluation, NFL draft analyst Nick Baumgardner even drew a notable comparison between the rookie tight end and Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

“My best NFL comp for Kitselman might actually be Lions head coach Dan Campbell,” Baumgardner wrote. “Kitselman isn’t the athlete Campbell was, but the 6-foot-5, 251-pounder is a former high school offensive lineman who is extremely serious about run blocking. He gets everything out of his body, and there’s no way the Lions won’t like him.”

Kitselman, who began his college career at Alabama before transferring to Tennessee in 2024, brings size and physicality to Detroit’s tight end room. Over two seasons with the Volunteers, he recorded 48 receptions for 554 yards and six touchdowns.

Despite being projected as a late-round draft pick in some mock drafts, his NFL Combine performance hurt his stock. He posted a 4.90-second 40-yard dash, a 1.71-second 10-yard split, and a 9-foot-8 broad jump—ranking near the bottom among tight ends in those categories.

“I’m a dual-threat guy,” Kitselman said at the Combine in Indianapolis. “Obviously, I take a lot of pride in the run game. And a lot of the pass game kind of follows after that. I’m excited to get out on the field and show I can move around for a big guy.”

Scouts have noted his ability to play in space and run routes effectively for his size, though consistency remains a key area for development. He will need to improve separation on underneath routes and reduce drops at the next level.

Kitselman joins a competitive tight end group in Detroit that already includes Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin, Zach Horton, and Thomas Gordon as he looks to carve out a roster role in 2026.