Detroit Lions Rookie Brandon Pettigrew To Start

So far in this off-season, the Detroit Lions coaching staff seems to be happy with their second, first-round pick, tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

Pettigrew stands in at a massive 6'5"—263 lbs. and is known to be a very solid run blocker.

While some around football (including myself) think the Lions would have been better served to draft offensive lineman Michael Oher, one has to feel that Pettigrew should help this team.

Scouts in the NFL have noted that while Brandon is not a fast runner, he can gain separation with his size and lengthy wingspan. These skills will come in very handy in the middle of the field as Daunte Culpepper (or Matt Stafford) check down from their receivers like Calvin Johnson.

Troubles Abound

While the coaching staff will rave about Pettigrew's progress in camp, I am still concerned about his past.

In Jan. 2008, Pettigrew was charged with a felony for assault and battery on an officer. While I do not know the details in the case, I do know that he eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault and battery.

Beyond his off the field issues, Pettigrew also missed a four-game stretch with a high ankle sprain last season.

My last and probably most fantasy-relevant problem is that Pettigrew did not even have one touchdown (nine in his career) in his final year of college! His highest touchdown total in a single season was four touchdowns (two times) in a year.

With an inability to score, one has to question just how much fantasy relevance this tight end will ever have.

Filling a Niche

Even if Pettigrew is never a great fantasy tight end in his career, he should provide an instant help for this offense in 2009. With the size of a small linemen and good blocking ability, Pettigrew should help running back Kevin Smith immediately.

With his reliable blocking, fantasy owners can at least count on Pettigrew to be on the field a lot for this team. He should also proved a nice big target in the middle of the field for the passing game. This ability will be useful in times with a quarterback who needs a target for that six or seven-yard first down conversion.

Fantasy Football Information for Brandon Pettigrew

For fantasy owners in keeper leagues, Pettigrew might be worth holding onto this season and seeing how he works in the Lions' offense. If Matt Stafford comes in and looks like Matt Ryan (he probably won't), then Pettigrew could be a very nice fantasy tight end for awhile.

For all of you in standard year-to-year leagues, this kid is nothing more then a late round backup for your roster. At this point in time, we all need to see Pettigrew have more success in converting touchdowns.

If this kid could not dominate inside the red zone in college, how will he dominate in the NFL?