Iowa is TE U for a reason, with the likes of George Kittle, TJ Hockenson, and Sam LaPorta going from Iowa City to the NFL and excelling. Luke Lachey is the latest player to come off the assembly line at TE U. On Saturday Lachey was drafted by the Houston Texans with the 255th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Lachey was a fixture in the Iowa lineup over the last four years, playing 42 games and notching 24 starts. He finished his Iowa career with 74 receptions for 894 yards and four touchdowns. Obviously, those numbers don't quite jump off the page for a career, but Lachey's career was unfortunately interrupted by a serious ankle injury during his junior season in 2023.
Missing games was hard and the rehab was a lengthy and painful process, but the time away also reaffirmed Lachey's passion for football.
"I feel like that was the time that I really realized how much I love it," he said last season. "It was tough for me, but you learn a lot about yourself. You try to find other things to do to keep your mind busy. I feel like it brings out a lot of your character as well -- you just try to be there for your teammates when they get to go out and play."
The ankle injury curtailed a potentially great season for Lachey, as he had 10 receptions and 131 yards in a little over two games and was on pace for a huge season. He returned to fitness in 2024, but his senior season didn't hit the heights anyone expected, as he finished with 28 receptions for 231 yards. Lachey doesn't deserve too much blame for those stats, though; the Iowa passing game has been a bit of a mess (to put it kindly) for the last few seasons.
Lachey doesn't have the athleticism (especially the quickness) that some of his fellow Iowa tight ends possess, but he is a big target with long arms and good hands that moves well and is an above-average route runner. He's also a very willing and capable blocker who can contribute in the run game.
STRENGTHS
Lachey has some positional versatility, as he can play either in-line or in the slot at tight end; he played almost two-thirds of his snaps last season in-line, but saw action in the slot about 30% of the time as well. He'll be best used on underneath and intermediate routes, where his good route-running and body control can get him into position to make catches and extend drives.
He also has above-average catching ability that gives him a large catch radius to haul in passes. As a run blocker, he gives strong effort and has the potential play all three downs at the next level. Finally, Lachey also has a very high motor and an extremely strong work ethic that should see him give full effort in whatever role he's given.
WEAKNESSES
Lachey rates average or worse on most measures of speed and quickness; he ran a 4.70 40-yard dash and recorded a 4.88 in the shuttle drill. That lack of quickness has made it more difficult for him to be a downfield threat, and made it harder at times to get separation from defenders. While he's a willing and capable blocker, he needs more power and consistency in his run-blocking as well, and will probably need assistance to contain most edge rushers in pass protection.
