Dan Campbell just gave Lions fans the blueprint for what a young player could become, and you can see it on Sunday

Detroit's receiver-to-tight-end experiment already earned Meeks a roster spot. Now Campbell has pointed to a proven NFL version of where it could eventually lead. The Detroit Lions and their fans had some fun at my expense this summer. I got made fun of a little bit, and people poked at what they considered overexcitement about Jackson Meeks. Maybe I put a little too much faith into the idea that Meeks could be a big deal for the Lions. I don't know if the people are laughing as hard right now, because Meeks made the team. He looked phenomenal the back half of the summer and in the preseason. I still don't think people realize how big of an asset he can be for this team. On Tuesday, we got to talk with Dan Campbell, and he talked about a former player he was with in New Orleans who is now a really good example of what Meeks could become. I'm talking about Saints tight end Juwan Johnson, their pass-catching tight end who is a former wide receiver himself. The idea is simple. This is what you want Meeks to be. Dan Campbell had this to say about it: 'He's (Johnson) very much like Meeks. And he was really a receiver, you know, big skill. And it was kind of, 'hey, man, would you be willing to move? What do you think about that? I don't know, maybe,' And then the move was made and it was obviously really good for him, for his career. He's a big skill player, a mismatch player, man. The things where he stays on the move, keeping vertical, he's got range, he's got length, he can track the ball. So he come a long way, but I think that was always the vision for him. So I'm not surprised where he's gone, because we— I know when I was there (New Orleans), you know, it was like, man, this kid might be able to develop into a receiving threat as a tight end slot and he's been able to do that. But I can't take credit for that.' Campbell said on Johnson. Then Campbell explained how that might be the inspiration for Meeks. 'I think that's the vision a little bit. When you see what a guy is, just kind of the skill set, the makeup, you know, because not everybody can make the move. Everybody wants to, you know, everybody's dying to find those. And every year it's, 'hey man, this guy, he's played basketball or he's been a receiver here, we're just going to move him.' And man, you got to be— there's a lot more that goes into it than just that. And so we felt like, Meeks has those qualities, man. He's got the wiring for it. He's tough, he's competitive, he's smart. And obviously his skill set You know, to be able to work the middle of the field, the seams, it's intriguing. And that's why we wanted to move him. And certainly him being able to play special teams bodes well for him and for us. So, I mean, I think it just says a lot. I think it goes a long way.' Look, Juwan Johnson is really good. The guy had 800 receiving yards last year and was a big deal for New Orleans. I don't know if Meeks makes it to that level for Detroit. That would be really hard. Sam LaPorta is the guy there, and as we know, the Lions are working out a new deal for him. But I think Meeks could be the tight end two. I'm not saying you get Brock Wright out of there. I'm not saying that. But I think Meeks could overcome Tyler Conklin, and you could find a situation where Detroit is rolling out both LaPorta and Meeks at the same time. Think about that for a second. LaPorta, Meeks, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Jared Goff just picking his spot. He could throw it anywhere he wants. If I'm Goff, I want that. But here's the thing. Meeks is a mismatch. He's bigger than your average tight end in terms of height. He has more athleticism than your average tight end. He's gotten himself bigger, more muscular. He's gotten better at blocking, and I think he'll continue to grow there. My favorite scenario is this. We know offensive coordinator Drew Petzing wants to run these 12 and 13 personnel groupings. Imagine you line Meeks up as a tight end and it looks like you're in 12 personnel, and then Meeks splits out as a receiver. Now you're in 11 personnel and the defense is scrambling to figure out what they're covering. Your brain is going to think they're going to throw it to Meeks because he just split out wide, but they don't have to. It creates so many mismatches and so many levels for Goff to attack. Campbell is right that a lot of teams want to make these receiver-to-tight-end conversions. It's not easy. But I think Meeks is built for it and ready for it. I don't know how much you see of him this year. But if I'm Petzing, by the end of this season I'm using Meeks a lot. He's not going to get 800 yards. If Meeks can walk out of this season with 300 yards and a couple of touchdowns, that's a huge success. That's something you can build on, something where you look at 2027 and go, okay, this guy is going to be real dangerous. If you're a Lions fan and you want to know what the vision is with Meeks, just watch Johnson on Sunday when Detroit plays the Saints. Watch what he can do, and you'll get it. I think Meeks is a guy. Detroit Lions News