Lions UDFA Profile: TE Zach Horton

New Detroit Lions tight end Zach Horton made a living in college being the unsung hero and doing the little things right.

The former Indiana Hoosier cultivated a reputation of being a hard-working, do-it-all player who was praised by Curt Cignetti, Indiana’s head coach. Horton did enough well to be one of the players that Cignetti brought with him in his move to the Big 10 from James Madison.

Horton rewarded his coach by being one of the pieces that paved the way for the Hoosiers’ Cinderella run to the College Football Playoff.

Now, the tight end finds himself as part of the Lions’ roster following rookie minicamp.

Strengths

One of the main positives for Horton is his versatility. The tight end played all around the field during his time at James Madison and Indiana, including at the fullback spot, in-line, and split out wide. Meanwhile, Detroit offensive coordinator John Morton is not opposed to the idea of keeping a fullback on his roster. 

Horton’s blocking is a major positive as well. Horton was known as a “blocking-first” tight end, and his PFF grades for run-blocking (66.3) and pass-protection (61.3) are both respectable for his position. In part, that comes from his ability on second-level blocks, which Horton was praised for during the pre-draft process.

Horton has the first step, whether it is to block or to run routes, that drew attention during his final collegiate season and the pre-draft process. He is a high-motor, high-effort player, from the first step to the whistle.

In Horton’s last two seasons, split between James Madison and Indiana, he started every game. His durability is not a question, as the last time Horton was held on the bench for the whole game was during his sophomore campaign in 2022.

Horton is also the youngest tight end on the Lions’ roster, turning 23 in December. If there is any player who has a chance to earn a slot to develop and polish his skills, it is the Indiana product. 

Horton is a player who coaches love to have on their roster. Similarly, he is not a player who opposing coaches like to see. Following Indiana’s 14-point win over the Maryland Terrapins last season, Terrapin head coach Mike Locksley praised Horton, calling him “the glue” of the offense.

“He is the glue for them on offense,” Locksley said of Horton to Indiana Hoosiers on SI. “This is a guy that's really talented in the run game. You get enamored in catches and production there, but as a coach when you look at things as I think of things on offense, he's the heart and soul of it. His style of play is what you like. I respect the way he plays."

There is a reason that the tight end was listed as an Honorable Mention for the All-Big Ten teams by the coaches and media, despite recording under 200 yards in 13 games in 2024.

Similarly, Curt Cignetti called him a “blood-and-guts, hard-nosed guy with talent.” Horton never had the stats to back up his praise, and that came from the tight end making his mark in the background for his teammates to succeed.

That type of player is exactly what Detroit was looking for.