So you're the Detroit Lions, and you've drafted Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta! Congratulations on a momentous decision here on the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft. You're sure to have questions, and we here at Go Iowa Awesome are here to answer them for you.
CUSTOM Q
Under head coach Kirk Ferentz, Iowa has had a few reliable pipelines to the NFL Draft — offensive line (19), defensive back (17) and defensive line (14) are the most fruitful in the Ferentz Era — but LaPorta is now the 12th tight end drafted under Ferentz, and at a minimum Iowa is one of a select few schools with a valid claim to "TE U". Of course, the Lions are already well aware of Iowa's success at developing tight ends, having drafted T.J. Hockenson in 2019.
LaPorta will bring the well-developed skill set NFL coaches can expect from Iowa tight ends, and for that reason he's at or near the top of many teams' draft boards at TE. More than that, as a contact-seeking pass-catcher with a nose for the sticks, he projects very well as a fan favorite in Detroit.
So What's He Good At?
LaPorta was easily Iowa's most reliable receiver while on the field — and would have been even if the competition hadn't been so scarce at times. LaPorta finished with 153 catches as a Hawkeye for 1,786 yards and five scores, leading the Hawkeyes in receiving yardage (with ease) the last two seasons. Don't be too alarmed by the low number of touchdowns, either; that had more to do with Iowa's red zone offense than any deficiencies in LaPorta's game. In a properly functioning NFL offense, LaPorta could and should be a primary red zone target.
LaPorta earned the privilege of being Spencer Petras' primary target as a talented route runner, a sure-handed catcher and — most importantly — an absolute pain to bring down in the open field. Running backs receive the most attention for "falling forward" and other tricks to maximize yardage gained, but once the catch is made, LaPorta will make tacklers earn their stops as he matriculates the ball down the field*. His ability to read zone coverages and fight for extra yardage also makes him a particularly dangerous third-down target.
*We're not embedding this 25-minute highlight reel, but click to any play in it and odds are awfully good you'll see him fighting forward for extra yards after the catch.
LaPorta's skill set meant Iowa could split him out wide, where he spent many snaps in 2022. He even took a few snaps at Wildcat quarterback in the 2022 Music City Bowl — which promptly led to a 3-and-out with one total yard gained. That... was too much versatility. Your team shouldn't do this. But it's still notable that when Iowa needed someone to run the Wildcat, it turned to LaPorta before any running backs or wideouts.
What Needs Improving?
LaPorta's not the athletic freak that, say, a George Kittle or Noah Fant can claim. He ran a respectable 4.59 at the combine and tested well in other drills, but by NFL standards he's not especially gifted at acceleration or high-pointing a catch.
LaPorta also hasn't distinguished himself as a high-level blocker yet, either; he's not an out-and-out liability, but coaches should think twice before scheming him on an island with an upper-echelon edge rusher. Still, he's hardly scared of contact, and he'll put a safety in the dirt as a lead blocker on sweeps and screens.
NFL coaches might also want to see LaPorta go down a little easier — fighting through contact is admirable, but at that level it also opens receivers up to fumbles forced by ball-hawking DBs. To be clear, LaPorta had no issues with fumbles at Iowa, but the calculus of good yards to fight for is absolutely different in the NFL than in college.
How Does His Skill Set Compare to T.J. Hockenson?
While LaPorta and Hockenson both played tight end at Iowa and both have similar measurables (around 6'4" and 250 lbs), their playing styles are not identical. Hockenson was a more explosive athlete and very capable of hauling in spectacular catches as well as more routine grabs. LaPorta succeeds through strong route-running, good footwork, and using leverage well.
Hockenson was a more accomplished run-blocker coming out of Iowa, but LaPorta is a willing blocker whose skills in that aspect of the game improved in every season he was at Iowa. As noted, LaPorta is also very hard to tackle when he gets the ball and he's consistently shown an ability to grind out additional yards after the catch -- he's superior to Hockenson in that area at the same point in their respective careers.
What's a Realistic Standard of Success For Him?
Projecting tight ends to the NFL has turned into a difficult exercise in recent years, with enough variance that the very concept of selecting a tight end on Day 1 is falling out of favor with most of the league cognoscenti, outside of truly elite prospects — and even then, someone like Kyle Pitts hasn't yet been "top-5 pick" good for Atlanta.
So rather than try to plug LaPorta in for some concrete number of catches or yards, what will really set him apart in the eyes of Detroit fans is how much (and how quickly) Jared Goff grows to trust him as a third-down target and how often he rewards that trust. And the first time LaPorta trucks some unsuspecting free safety after the catch and turns a 15-yard play into a 30-yarder or more, fans in Detroit will certainly start to grow fond of the YAC God from Iowa.
Anything Else We Need to Know?
For those of you who don't habla español, LaPorta is Spanish for "The Porta."
