Detroit Lions sign veteran tight end from rookie minicamp.

Veteran TE Parker Hesse is the latest rookie minicamp tryout signed by the Detroit Lions. More about the former defensive end can be found here.

The Detroit Lions were reportedly adding rookie minicamp tryout Kaden Davis to their roster of ninety men on Sunday. The Lions announced that signing on Monday along with the presence of tight end Parker Hesse at Allen Park for a tryout.

At rookie minicamp, Hesse, 28, was really the second-oldest player—only 29-year-old Mathieu Betts was older. Another Iowa product turned NFL tight end, but Hesse was a defensive lineman in college. He was not selected in the 2019 NFL Draft but played two seasons as a tight end for the Tennessee Titans before switching to the position. He has been on and off the Atlanta Falcons practice squad for the past three years. Despite this, he has appeared in 28 games with the Falcons, starting eight of them.

He is built like a blocking tight end at 6-foot-3 and 261 pounds, and it is clear from his background as a defensive lineman that he is someone who enjoys contact.

Despite this, he has only had mediocre run blocking grades in the NFL, with a 72.5 PFF in his debut season in Atlanta and 61.2 and 50.9 the following two seasons.

Hesse did add nine catches for 89 yards across 17 game appearances and seven starts in his most active year (2022); this was a huge assistance to the Falcons, who were without Kyle Pitts due to injury.

In 2023, former Falcons coach Arthur Smith said, “The things we ask Parker Hesse to do that nobody will ever notice, guy just does his job.” “As a defensive end, by the way, you can see why he was named captain at Iowa. Simply put, a selfless professional who doesn’t receive enough recognition.

Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra, and undrafted rookie Isaac Rex are among the tight end players that Hesse joins.