Tight end Eric Ebron expects to be drafted by Detroit Lions

Eric Ebron is the top prospect in this year's class of draft-eligible tight ends. (Dannie Walls/Icon SMI) The Detroit Lions hold the 10th overall selection in

Eric Ebron is the top prospect in this year's class of draft-eligible tight ends. (Dannie Walls/Icon SMI)

The Detroit Lions hold the 10th overall selection in the 2014 NFL draft, and some have speculated they may attempt to trade up in effort to secure a high-profile talent.

But former North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron doesn't believe that will be the case, recently informing another team that he expects the Lions to draft him with the 10th overall pick.

SI's Peter King revealed the prospect's prediction in his most recent MMQB column, in which Ebron, who is believed to be the best tight end available, suggested that he feels he'll be going to Motown.

Detroit taking a tight end? I doubt it, but North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron, the clear top player at the position in this year’s draft, was asked by one team he visited recently who he thought would pick him. “Detroit,’’ he said.

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It doesn't appear as if Ebron has a promise from the Lions or anything beyond a personal hunch. Still, it's an interesting possibility.

Adding Ebron would fill multiple needs for the Lions, who have recently said they're looking to add "closers" to help address their struggles in the fourth quarter last season. Given his wide receiver skills packed into a tight end's body, Ebron could develop into a deadly asset in the Lions' plans for extending drives and locking down late leads.