Tight End – Iowa
6’3″ 245 lbs
2nd Round 3rd Pick (34th Overall) – Detroit Lions
Sam LaPorta’s 2023 fantasy football outlook has a glimmer of hope, landing with the Detroit Lions. Since the departure of TJ Hockenson to the Vikings, the tight end room in Detroit is wide open.
LaPorta is another tight end that comes out of the tight-end factory that is Iowa University. Dallas Clark, George Kittle, Noah Fant, T.J. Hockenson, and now LaPorta. Out of all these former Iowa players, he was the one who had the most receptions with 153, setting the school record.
A former wide receiver and defensive back in high school, LaPorta is athletic and versatile. Additionally, he has great speed for a tight end (4.59 40 at the Combine) and lined up pretty much everywhere while at Iowa. Furthermore, LaPorta was often used as a receiver in this offense.
LaPorta plays with a lot of energy and was an effective run blocker in Iowa zone and gap running schemes. However, the biggest knocks on him are he’s not great at making contested catches and he also had 14 drops in his four seasons in college.
Fantasy Football Outlook
LaPorta steps into a Detroit offense that starts with a top-tier offensive line and features an array of different weapons at both the wide receiver and running back positions. After Hockenson was traded to the Minnesota Vikings last year, the Lions needed to fill that hole and LaPorta absolutely fits the bill.
Being a former tight end himself, Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell should know a thing or two about the position. Selecting LaPorta not only gives this offense another weapon in the passing game but also it should give a boost to their running game as well. LaPorta is a capable run blocker.
LaPorta should find some early success playing in this talented offense that is well-designed and that gives Jared Goff time to throw. Goff’s skillset is to throw short to intermediate passes with accuracy and as a tight end, this is what LaPorta does best.
In redraft leagues, LaPorta can undoubtedly be drafted at the tail end of drafts as he has a lot of upside. As for his role, he looks to be the number one tight end in this offense instantly. With Jameson Williams suspended for the first six games of the season this gives LaPorta a chance to be relied upon early and often.
2023 Projections:
- 45 Receptions
- 550 Yards
- 5 Touchdowns
Dynasty Outlook
This 2023 draft class features a ton of talented tight ends more so than I can ever remember. Needless to say, LaPorta is one of the best at the position in this class. Now, he lands on a talented offense with a solid quarterback who is well-protected and whose skillset is to hit short to intermediate routes.
LaPorta has the ability to capitalize on passes thrown his way with his route running and the ability to create yards after the catch. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson does an excellent job creating mismatches, which is a way to exploit the rookie tight end’s skill set.
In both 1QB and Superflex leagues, LaPorta can be taken somewhere in the third round. Overall, he should only continue to get better and better every year as he gets more accustomed to the NFL game.
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