Faust
MVP
Lions selected Iowa TE Sam LaPorta with the No. 34 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
In Detroit, LaPorta will have a chance to be the teams' No. 2 pass catching option behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. LaPorta (6’3/245) saw his role at Iowa grow year over year and he broke out with 53 catches for 670 yards as a true junior. The Hawkeyes offense took a nosedive for LaPorta’s senior season. Despite this, he sustained his counting stats with a 58-657-1 receiving line. LaPorta, responsible for 35 percent of Iowa’s receiving yards, doesn’t offer much above replacement with his hands. He committed the occasional drop and is far from a 50/50 ball specialist. On the other hand, he is a problem for defenses after the catch. He ranked third in total yards after the catch and second in missed tackles forced among Power Five tight ends last year. At the combine, LaPorta blazed the forty in 4.59 seconds before impressing in the agility drills as well. He logged an impressive 9.5 relative athletic score in Indy. LaPorta projects as a strong pass-catcher at the next level, though his modest frame could limit his usage as a blocker.
Apr 28, 2023, 7:27 PM ET
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