Sam LaPorta is a valuable pass catching tight end who declared for the NFL draft after his second strong season in back-to-back years for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He is a former three star recruit out of Highland, Illinois, who could be the latest in a long line of successful tight ends to enter the NFL out of Iowa.
LaPorta is six-foot-four and 250 pounds who played in all four seasons of his college career. He’s a pass catcher first but shows a lot of effort as a blocker, and his commitment to his team will certainly aid his stock in the 2023 NFL draft.
Sam LaPorta has had back-to-back seasons with over 600 receiving yards for the Iowa Hawkeyes, leading the team in both years. Despite playing in a run-first offense, LaPorta showed consistency as a pass catcher and his 648 yards in 2022 landed fourth overall amongst TE’s in all D1 football.
The Hawkeyes tight end had 90 targets this past season despite splitting those targets with a second tight end, resulting in 58 receptions throughout the year. His biggest performance in 2022 came with 9 catches and 101 receiving yards against Illinois, although he was also a factor against the Ohio State Buckeyes with six catches for 55 yards.
LaPorta was named the Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year, awarded to the best tight end in the Big Ten each season. He was also named a member of the First Team All-Big Ten for the 2022 season.
LaPorta’s ability as a receiving threat will likely land him on day two of the draft. He is a great athlete who shows good agility for the position, having got a lot of his work in college on short yardage receptions that allowed him to make a play in space.
Considering he’s a six-foot-four 250-pound man, he can sidestep a defender and make good cuts to avoid contact in the open field. LaPorta’s agility after the catch stands out in his game tape, and he has the strength to use stiff arms to fend off incoming tacklers.
LaPorta’s route running is solid, and he can create separation over the middle of the field and in short yardage situations, which makes him a great option in the red zone at the next level. While he does have good experience as a route runner, he can be pushed off of his desired route by contact, and needs to sharpen his cuts at the top of the route sometimes too.
As a blocker, LaPorta has shown an almighty effort for the Hawkeyes. With over 500 rushing attempts in the 2022 season, Iowa were firmly considered a run first team, and that meant a lot of blocking assignments for their tight ends. While he may not be the strongest blocker, he does have a lot of experience in multiple blocking situations, including inline and backside blocking assignments.
He isn’t the strongest for a tight end, and while he blocks, he can be beaten by stronger defenders. However, his pass catching ability and understanding of the run game make him an asset in the league with the upside to be a do it all tight end within his first couple of seasons. If he can add a little strength and work on winning his blocks more consistently, he could be a valuable addition to an NFL offense.
Ultimately LaPorta projects as a late day two prospect. The draft is littered with excellent tight end talents which likely means a team is going to get some good value in the Iowa prospect when his name is called.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins offered very little work to Mike Gesicki last season because he was not a capable blocker. While he was often an exciting option down field as a pass catcher, he simply wasn’t working out in Mike McDaniel’s offense.
Having come from San Francisco, McDaniel is known for having his offensive players work in multiple situations. His tight ends need to be able to block and get downfield to engage with defenders in the run game, and that almost takes priority over their pass catching ability.
That said, LaPorta has enough experience in both categories to be an intriguing option for the Dolphins. They do have Durham Smythe who is a favorable option with the Dolphins staff, but the exit of Mike Gesicki leaves a void for a pass catching tight end. LaPorta can offer what Gesicki did for the Dolphins pass game, but also has the effort and experience in the run game to peak the interest of McDaniel and the ambitious Dolphins in 2023.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers will be expecting big things from Cade Otton in 2023 after a 65 target season last year. Veteran Cameron Brate retired after nine years with the organization during the off-season, and there is now a question on depth at the position in the Bay.
Otton is a solid option, but he needs some competition. He had 42 catches for 391 yards and two touchdowns in 2022, his rookie season in the league. With Brate calling it quits, LaPorta could be a valuable option to replace his workload in year one, with plenty of upside as a long-term starter for the franchise.
Pro’s
- Agile tight end
- Great in space
- Solid route runner
- After catch ability
- Willing blocker in multiple assignments
Con’s
- Strength in blocking
- Route running needs perfecting
