Former Iowa Star Tight End Poised for Bounceback Season in Detroit

Former Iowa Hawkeye star tight end Sam LaPorta had a bit of a down year in his second season with the Detroit Lions. While a statline of 60 catches for 726 yards and seven touchdowns is hardly a bad season for a second-year tight end, his rookie campaign was a record-setting year at the position, which set a high bar.

LaPorta is due for a third-year bounceback season, but it’s not just because he’s coming into this season looking for one. It’s not even because he’s coming into the 2025 season healthy, unlike last year. No, instead, Detroit Lions analyst John Vaccaro of Athlon Sports sees LaPorta’s return to form having to do with new weaknesses that exist in the Detroit offense.

The Lions lost guard Kevin Zeitler to free agency and center Frank Ragnow to retirement. The interior of the Detroit offensive line, which has been one of the best front fives in football for the past couple of seasons, is now a glaring weak spot for the Lions offense. With less faith in the interior protection, there’s an argument to be made that quarterback Jared Goff will be forced to check down more often to his star tight end.

“Protection issues are also good news for players with low ADOTs (Average Depth of Targets),” Vaccaro wrote. “If the quarterback doesn't have time to throw, they'll be more likely to look short. That should also mean more targets for LaPorta.”

As Vaccaro pointed out, LaPorta’s average depth of target for his career is seven yards, which is comparable to the team’s top wideout, Amon-Ra St. Brown. While St. Brown does often play in the slot, LaPorta will nearly always be a closer target for Goff when he’s under pressure.

LaPorta saw 120 targets in his rookie season, but just 83 in Year 2. Even if Detroit does manage to resolve its interior question marks, there’s no doubt the Lions coaching staff would like to see LaPorta more involved with the ball in his hands.

LaPorta was a second-round pick for the Lions in 2023 after hauling in 153 receptions for 1,786 yards and five touchdowns for the Hawkeyes across four seasons. His receptions rank first in school history among tight ends, while his yardage ranks second at the position.

As long as LaPorta is healthy and getting targets for the Lions, he’ll continue to prove why Iowa is TE-U.