Lions UDFA Profile: TE Caden Prieskorn

On May 9, the Detroit Lions will begin their rookie minicamp following the additions of 18 fresh faces via the NFL Draft and the following undrafted free agency.

Those players, all vying for attention during the installation period of the Lions’ playbook, will be joined by a competitive group of fellow NFL hopefuls on a tryout basis. 

A popular late round position of need for the Lions during the mock draft process was tight end. While the Lions ultimately passed on selecting one, they picked up two during the scramble to sign UDFAs, including former Ole Miss Rebel Caden Prieskorn. 

Much like fellow rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, Prieskorn is a Michigan high school state title winner, winning the trophy as a junior with Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School as the starting quarterback. 

He switched to tight end after walking on at Memphis, and worked his way to a 600-yard season with the Tigers before taking his talents down south. Following back-to-back campaigns with the Rebels, recording over 400 yards both times, he now enters rookie camp looking to fight his way to the top again.

Behind Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright, it is viewed as open competition for the third tight end slot, with incumbent Shane Zylstra defending the spot against free agent addition Kenny Yeboah, Prieskorn, and fellow UDFA Zach Horton from Indiana.

Strengths

When compared to his competition, the biggest asset that Prieskorn has is his length. In the NFL Draft process, he received praise for his size (6-foot-5) as well as his arm length. The former Ole Miss product has the best height and weight of the four players signed with Detroit in the competition for third tight end.

This is complimentary with Prieskorn and his ability to catch the ball in traffic. When playing some of the best competition in the SEC, the ability to have reliable hands makes any player stand out. In his final two years of college at Ole Miss, Prieskorn hauled in 57 of 73 targets. In his eight chances for a contested catch in 2024, the tight end came down with the ball six times. 

If 16 missed targets over 22 games is not a clue, the tight end does not let a pass slip through his fingers, either. The extra length lets the tight end keep the pass away from his defender, as well as making him stand out in zone coverage. He had one drop all season in 2024.

When it comes down to blocking, the converted high school quarterback can identify targets quickly and utilize length to engage. In a game of inches and fractions of a second, that extra cognition is a vital benefit. 

His durability is also a positive, with the tight end only missing three games in his final four seasons of college, missing his first trio of games as a Rebel with an undisclosed injury. He did appear on the injury report for Ole Miss last season before a contest against Georgia, but was cleared well before Saturday arrived.

His productivity is something that cannot be overlooked, either. Among all Ole Miss tight ends, the Michigan native ranked third with his 850 receiving yards, seventh from his 57 catches, and sixth with seven touchdowns in only two seasons as a Rebel.