The Detroit Lions doubled down on Iowa Hawkeyes in this draft by selecting tight end Sam LaPorta in the second round.
This pick may inspire some mixed feelings from Lions fans as Detroit recently parted ways with T.J. Hockenson, another Iowa tight end.
LaPorta will come into a fairly young tight end room, with Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra being the top two players in that group for the majority of the 2022 season.
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What will set LaPorta apart is that he is much more of a pure receiving threat tight end versus the block-first players that Wright and Zylstra are.
His agility stands out on tape, and it’s clear that he’s a much cleaner route runner than most tight ends. His 153 career receptions as a Hawkeye further proves the point that he will be yet another weapon on offense for Jared Goff.
Detroit was lacking a vertical threat tight end, and LaPorta will now fill that role. Expect him to be the starter by the time the season kicks off, with Wright and Zylstra complementing him as blockers. James Mitchell will likely be LaPorta’s primary backup.
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