INDIANAPOLIS -- If the Detroit Lions are unable to re-sign tight end Brandon Pettigrew this offseason, the team will need to find a replacement through free agency or the draft. It's not out of the realm of possibility Detroit could use its No. 10 pick in the first round to fill that void.

That's where North Carolina's Eric Ebron comes into play. The ultra-athletic tight end -- who is built like and models his game after San Francisco's Vernon Davis -- is poised to put on a show at the NFL's scouting combine.

Teams are lining up to meet with Ebron, and although he doesn't have anything set up with the Lions at this stage, he admits he would be thrilled to line up in an offense with superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

"I would love it, would love it, would absolutely love it," Ebron said. "I like the way that Calvin Johnson plays and everything about him. He's a beast."

Ebron is a bit of a beast himself. He caught 62 passes for the Tar Heels last season and averaged a stellar 16.1 yards per reception in his three years at the school.

He relies heavily on his speed and could very well be the fastest player at his position in this draft class.

Ebron declined to speculate how fast he would run the 40-yard dash on Saturday, but said he intends to best former North Carolina teammate Giovani Bernard's 4.53-second effort from last year.

Despite all the positives, there are question marks about Ebron's game. It's been noted that he rarely faced press coverage in college. He said there's a reason for that.

"I think why teams don't press me is because they can't," he said.

There are bigger concerns about Ebron's blocking ability, both holding the point of attack when inline and locating and neutralizing assignments while out in space.

Although he can't do much at the combine to alleviate those concerns, other than showcase his strength in the bench press, Ebron is eager to prove he's a capable blocker.

"Every team wants a complete tight end, an all purpose tight end, not one that can just run down the seam and catch passes," Ebron said. "They want a guy that can block too. I tell them that I've been working hard on it, which I have, and that I'm not bad at it, which everyone thinks, but we'll see."

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