Tag: sam laporta

Hawkeye Pipeline: Cooper DeJean joins Jack Campbell and Sam LaPorta in NFL mock draft

Could Cooper DeJean be another Iowa product headed to the Motor City? A recent mock calls for a reunion with two former Iowa Hawkeyes.

There is something in the water with the Iowa Hawkeyes and the NFL Draft. A growing trend is popping up and that is the pipeline of the Hawkeyes to certain teams in the NFL.

Teams are drafting Hawkeyes and often doing so in multiples with success usually following pretty soon thereafter. The Detroit Lions did this last year. They took Jack Campbell in the first round and snagged Sam LaPorta in the second round.

Campbell gave the Lions a steadying presence at linebacker with 95 total tackles and two sacks. LaPorta thrust himself into the upper echelon of tight ends right away hauling in 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns.

CBS Sports recent mock draft thinks that the Lions and head coach Dan Campbell may go back to the well again. They have mocked Cooper DeJean to the Detroit Lions with the No. 29 pick in the first round of next week’s draft.

Round 1 – Pick 29 – Detroit Lions: Cooper DeJean, Iowa

More teams have DeJean as a safety/nickel than cornerback/nickel. For Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, DeJean can play in a number of different spots. – Jonathan Jones, CBS Sports

Could DeJean slide all the way to No. 29? That seems unlikely but weirder things have happened in the NFL Draft. Should he hit that point, the Lions could bolster their secondary and, with a move to safety, instantly upgrade their safety duo to one of the best in the league.

Cooper DeJean would be slotted alongside fellow Big Ten star, Kerby Joseph manning the back end of the Lions’ defense giving them two stars at safety. Joseph had four interceptions last season which would pair ideally next to DeJean’s ball-hawking ability.

Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7

Detroit Lions match the 49ers’ offer sheet for TE Brock Wright

Detroit Lions match the 49ers’ offer sheet for TE Brock Wright, ensuring Wright will be back in Detroit in 2024

The Lions have decided to keep one of their own by re-signing tight end Brock Wright to a three-year deal worth $12 million. It’s unclear what the terms were for the 49ers’ offer to Wright were, but the Lions were given five days to match or beat the offer, and they did just that.

Wright was undrafted in 2021 and has earned his way onto the Lions roster as a key member of the offense. In 2022, he had 18 receptions for 216 yards and four touchdowns. While there was regression in 2023 to only 13 receptions for 91 yards and a score, Wright is known to block in the Lions offense.

Last season he earned a 45.9 run-blocking grade on PFF (65th out of 76 tight ends) but his 64.0 pass-blocking grade was best on the team for the position. Wright may not be a needle mover with elite athleticism or highlight-reel catches, but he’s the type of player that this Lions regime is all about — a hardworking football player who grinds and gets after it every game. Can’t ask for much more than that as the team is all about competing for every opportunity.

Lions front office honored with ‘Best Draft Award’ at NFL Scouting Combine

Lions front office honored with ‘Best Draft Award’ at NFL Scouting Combine for their 2023 draft haul

The 2023 draft class selected by the Detroit Lions has been heralded as one of the best on this site and by many in the media. At the NFL Scouting Combine, it was honored by those within and around the league.

Brad Holmes and his staff were awarded the “Best Draft Award” for their April selections. It was a class that was seen as risky or overreaching at the time, but in the end, the results spoke for themselves. The team found themselves in the NFC Championship game after winning their first division title in over 30 years.

Holmes made several moves on day one of the draft starting with a trade back to get extra picks before landing Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell in round one. Gibbs and Campbell both showed to be leaders on their respective sides of the ball with the Alabama running back looking to become one of the best at his position sooner rather than later.

The Lions general manager then proceeded to make even ore impactful selections on day two of th draft. Between rounds two and three, he would draft the record-breaking Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch, and Hendon Hooker.

LaPorta was ultized by playcaller Ben Johnson and quarterback Jared Goff all year as both a safety blanket option in the passing game but also as a game breaker when need be. Branch made his impact known from the start of the season when his pick-six against the Chiefs on the league’s opening night was just a sign of what was to come.

While Hendon Hooker din’t see the field in 2023, he is someone the franchise remains high on. Coming off a torn ACL in his final year in college, the team got what was seen as a first roudn talent in round three tht they have stashed for the future.

 

Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs finish top 4 in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting

Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs finish top 4 in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting

Neither Sam LaPorta nor Jahmyr Gibbs won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at the annual NFL Honors extravaganza. But the Lions duo finished in the top four in the voting.

LaPorta captured 40 of the 48 third-place votes to finish in third. Gibbs earned three third-place votes to come in fourth.

The Lions finished well behind winner C.J Stroud of the Houston Texans and also second-place finisher Puka Nacua of the Rams. The top two captured all the first and second-place votes.

It’s an impressive showing for LaPorta and Gibbs, who were integral parts of the Lions 2023 draft class. LaPorta broke the rookie productivity record for tight ends, while Gibbs finished with over 1,200 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns.

Travis Kelce shouts out Iowa as ‘TEU’ during Super Bowl Opening Night

The Hawkeyes made their way to Super Bowl Opening Night. Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce shouted out “TEU” and gave Iowa love.

Travis Kelce is among the best tight ends of all time, and what he says carries some serious weight. He is dating Taylor Swift, playing in the Super Bowl with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, and shouting out the Iowa Hawkeyes at the same time.

At Super Bowl opening night, Kelce was meeting with the media when he was asked about other top tight ends in the league. His first instinct was to shout out two of Iowa’s own.

“I mean, I would say you can’t go wrong with a guy like George Kittle or Sam LaPorta. Those Iowa Hawkeyes, man, they’re producing tight ends left and right,” Kelce said when talking about top tight ends in the NFL.

Kelce is facing off against one of those mentioned tight ends, George Kittle, in Super Bowl LVIII as the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers. Rookie Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions finds himself among some good company being mentioned by Kelce in the same breath as Kittle.

The trio dominated the tight end position this season. Kittle led all tight ends with 1,020 yards in the regular season. LaPorta was the only tight end to hit double-digit touchdowns, 10. Kelce stayed as consistent as they come being top-three in receptions, yards and touchdowns.

Super Bowl LVIII is set for Sunday, Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. CT on CBS. The game is in Las Vegas and one safe bet to make is that a tight end will have a big play or two in helping determine who hoists the Lombardi Trophy.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7

CBS Sports touts Sam LaPorta as Detroit Lions’ 2023 MVP

Sam LaPorta had a monster rookie year for the Detroit Lions. CBS Sports named him as the Lions’ 2023 MVP.

Iowa Hawkeyes tight ends succeeding in the NFL is becoming a bit of a normality rather than an outlier. They produce top tight end after top tight end and each year another one bursts onto the scene.

George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers and T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings have stamped their presence in the NFL. Sam LaPorta is the newest Iowa tight end to take off after a huge rookie year for the Detroit Lions.

His 2023 performance is arguably the best of any tight end in the league. He was near the top in nearly all major statistical categories. This has him named the Lions’ 2023 MVP per CBS Sports.

The Lions rookie class may go down as a franchise-altering group as they received stellar play from a ton of first-year players, including tight end Sam LaPorta. He broke the record for most receptions by a tight end in his rookie season with 86 and was a reliable security blanket for Jared Goff in the passing game. LaPorta also elevated his play in the postseason, catching 21 of his 27 targets for 176 yards and a touchdown through three games. – Tyler Sullivan, CBS Sports

LaPorta had 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in the regular season. His 10 touchdowns led all NFL tight ends. His playoff run was equally, if not more impressive as he battled through a sprained knee to continue to be one of the Lions’ most important offensive pieces.

The Lions advanced to the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. Detroit squandered a 24-7 halftime lead in an eventual 34-31 loss, but the future looks bright for the franchise because of pieces like LaPorta.

Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7

NFL rookies played well on Championship Sunday

Some quality rookie performances on Championship Sunday are a strong indicator that the NFL is becoming more competitive.

Here’s a look at the NFL rookies who played well on Championship Sunday as we prepare for SBLVII next weekend.

Lions rookie report: How did they fare in the NFC Championship game?

While the end result isn’t what anyone wants, the future is bright. Here is how these rookies faired in their first taste of a big game atmosphere.

The magical season for the Detroit Lions has come to an end. After several key drops, missing flags, and debatable coaching decisions, we arrive at the end of the 2023 season.

Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell built and developed this year over the past three years. Specifically, the 2023 NFL Draft class for the Lions has been monumental. It will go down as one of the best in the history of this organization.

While the end result isn’t what anyone wants, the future is bright. Here is how these rookies faired in their first taste of a big game atmosphere.

Lions will have 29th overall selection in 2024 NFL draft

The Detroit Lions will have the 29th overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft

The 2024 NFL draft will be right around the corner before anyone knows it. The key events leading up to it are already here with the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl.

The Detroit Lions will be drafting 29th overall in a class that is very heavy on offense, which bodes well for what they need given that the top of the draft will be focused on that side of the ball.

The Lions offense can be electric. We all saw the rise of Jahmyr Gibbs, the emergence of Sam LaPorta, the return and development of Jameson Williams, and Jared Goff earning his keep. Now it is time for the defense to take its next step.

The team has needs at cornerback and safety. Yes, they hit on Brian Branch, but the free agent signing of Cameron Sutton hasn’t given good results, nor has anyone else stepped up. The cornerback and safety class in this draft class should start seeing dominos fall in the 20s, so perhaps we see GM Brad Holmes active in the draft again.

Players who could be connected to the Lions include Quinyon Mitchell, Terrion Arnold, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Kamren Kinchens, to name a few.

The NFC Championship is an Iowa Hawkeyes TE showcase

The Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers square off in the NFC Championship game, but it is also an Iowa Hawkeyes tight end showcase.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have set the standard for what tight end development, play, and production should look like. Not only at the college level, but what that looks like at the highest level in the NFL.

Iowa currently has five former tight ends that are active NFL players. Those are Noah Fant (Seattle Seahawks), Parker Hesse (Atlanta Falcons), T.J. Hockenson (Minnesota Vikings), George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers), and rookie Sam LaPorta (Detroit Lions).

Two of these tight ends, George Kittle and Sam LaPorta, square off in the NFC Championship game for a trip to the Super Bowl. These two are starting tight ends for their squads but more importantly, they are impact players on each of their offenses. Both are among the top in tight end statistical categories.

LaPorta had 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns while Kittle had 65 receptions for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns. The two have arguably been the top two tight ends in the NFL this season. Kittle led all tight ends in receiving yards while LaPorta led all tight ends in touchdowns.

When the Lions and 49ers kick off the NFC Championship, this is also kicking off an Iowa Hawkeyes tight end showcase. This will be two of the best playing on a national stage for all to see.

What it also is, is a goldmine of recruiting ammo for the Hawkeyes. What more do you need to show recruits than the fact that being an Iowa tight end can have you within 60 minutes of a Super Bowl and regarded among the very best in the NFL?

Recruits don’t need to look any further than the real “Tight End U” that will be on full display when George Kittle and Sam LaPorta make plays tomorrow that define the game.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7