Is Sam LaPorta A Good Fit For The Lions? Fantasy Football Outlook

The 2023 NFL Draft has been full of surprises. The Detroit Lions have made multiple surprise picks this year.

Detroit shocked everyone when they used the 12th overall pick on running back Jahmyr Gibbs. However, they made another surprising move in the second round. The Lions drafted Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta over Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer.

Was that the right decision? Only time will time if Detroit made a mistake.

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What Did Sam LaPorta Accomplish At Iowa?

While some will question the decision to draft LaPorta over Mayer, the former Hawkeye tight end is a talented player. He had 153 receptions for 1,786 receiving yards and five touchdowns in his four years at Iowa.

More importantly, LaPorta had at least 53 receptions for 650 yards in 2021 and 2022 despite awful quarterback play. Last year the tight end received an 85.3 receiving grade from PFF. He had the sixth-highest receiving grade among tight ends in 2022.

After a productive four-year career at Iowa, what can fantasy players expect from LaPorta in Detroit?

Is Sam LaPorta A Good Fit For The Lions?

The Lions had a history of drafting former Iowa tight ends. They used the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on T.J. Hockenson. However, Detroit traded the veteran tight end to the Minnesota Vikings last year.

Despite trading away their starting tight end during the year, the Lions still got nine receiving touchdowns from tight ends not named Hockenson in 2022. While that is amazing, the team knew they had to improve their tight end unit during the NFL Draft. LaPorta is an excellent pick and highlights the Lions’ impressive draft class through the first two days.

Last year Hockenson had 26 receptions on 43 targets for 395 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Despite playing only seven games in Detroit, the veteran tight end finished fourth on the team in receiving touchdowns with three. Meanwhile, the trio of Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra, and James Mitchell combined for 40 receptions on 50 targets for 389 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last season.

LaPorta can line up all over the field and create mismatches. With Jameson Williams suspended the first six games of the year, fantasy players shouldn’t be surprised if the former Iowa tight end becomes a go-to target for Jared Goff early in the year.

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