MLive will preview each of the Detroit Lions’ position groups heading into the start of training camp on July 25. Today: Tight ends. Previously: Running backs | Quarterbacks | Receivers

Roster locks: Jesse James, T.J. Hockenson

Competing: Logan Thomas, Isaac Nauta, Jerome Cunningham

Notable departures: Luke Willson, Levine Toiolo

Breakdown: Lions GM Bob Quinn thought he could replace Eric Ebron with Rob Gronkowski last offseason. Yes, that happened. But Gronk threatened to retire rather than play for another team than the New England Patriots, leaving Quinn holding the bag. He settled for Luke Willson and Levine Toiolo, but they managed just 34 catches for 350 yards and one touchdown. Ebron, for comparison, had 66 catches for 780 yards and 13 touchdowns all by himself in Indy. Whoops.

It was bad. There might not have been a worse tight end rotation in the league, and Quinn was determined to make sure that didn’t happen again by investing heavily in the position. He threw $22.6 million at Jesse James in free agency. He used the eighth overall pick on T.J. Hockenson, higher than anyone has taken a tight end since 2006. And just for good measure, he used a seventh-round pick on Isaac Nauta. Throw in the signing of Logan Thomas, and that’s four new tight ends in the mix, all of whom could make the team.

Of course, all eyes will be on Hockenson because of where he was taken. No other team has taken a tight end in the top 10 since 2006, but Detroit has now done it twice. And after Ebron flamed out, you can bet the pressure will be on both Quinn and Hockenson for this pick to pay immediate dividends. Problem is, rookie tight ends typically don’t produce much in the passing game. But Hockenson isn’t your typical rookie tight end either. He’s the product of an NFL-type offense at Iowa, and considered by draft analysts to be the most polished tight end prospect in years. He was hailed for his hands at Iowa -- dropping just two passes in his career -- as well as his blocking. He did have some of the usual rookie mistakes during the early parts of the offseason program, but he should be an immediate factor in the running game and work into the passing game as he grows more comfortable.

Both James and Hockenson are expected to play a lot this fall, and play a lot together. Based on what the Lions were doing during the spring and early summer, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some three-tight end sets. And with Michael Roberts now out in Detroit, it seems Logan Thomas is the favorite for that third spot. The former quarterback has taken to the position well in his second stint with the team. He has good length and athleticism, and really settled in over the spring. He’s far from a finished product, but it’s easy to see why Quinn has now signed this guy twice. He’s intriguing.

Nauta faces a ton of competition to make the roster, and sitting out all team drills during OTAs and minicamp won’t help his case. But he’s expected to be good to go for training camp, and the Lions are curious to see what they’ve got. The former Georgia tight end showed good hands in the SEC, and his size -- 6-foot-3 and 244 pounds -- could give him some positional flex to play in the offensive backfield. And you don’t need me to remind you how much this staff values versatility.

No position group has drawn more offseason investment than this one. It should be dramatically improved. And as the Lions move to more of a run-oriented offense, they are counting on it. The idea is to create matchup problems for defenses that are built to defend more wide-open attacks. Detroit wants to go big, and Hockenson and James should give them the opportunity to do it. As training camp opens, all eyes will be on their development and assimilation to the offense -- because this new offense depends on it.

Roster projection: Jesse James, T.J. Hockenson, Logan Thomas, Isaac Nauta