The Detroit Lions got a huge steal when they drafted Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he hit the ground running and had a huge season.
LaPorta broke the single-season reception record for rookie tight ends with 82 and just generally had one of the best rookie tight end seasons in NFL history. Lions fans hoped he would come out in 2024 and have an even bigger season, but that did not happen.
A sophomore slump was expected for LaPorta since history shows that every tight end who's had a big rookie season then turns around and has a down year in their second season. It's just something that seems to keep happening.
That concerned Lions fans and made some feel as though maybe LaPorta had peaked in his rookie season. The NFL executives who came together with ESPN to rank the top 10 tight ends in the league. They put LaPorta at three.
"[Lack of production is] not really a factor because Detroit has so many players they need to get the ball to," an NFC executive said. "He's a stud. Will be a cornerstone player for a long time."
It's hard to argue with that thought. Plus, it's not like LaPorta fell into the void and had god god-awful season. He had 163 fewer yards and three fewer touchdowns. He was still one of the top tight ends in the league. Plus, it's not like he was worried about it either.
"Why didn't you get the ball as much? Like, dude, we scored the most points out of any team in the NFL in the last five years. Like, everybody deserves the ball."
