Sam LaPorta holds the TE · Starter spot in Detroit Lions’s tight end room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Sam LaPorta played 9 games in 2025 with a 91% snap share.

Sam LaPorta is a tight end for the Detroit Lions who was selected 34th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Iowa product played four seasons for the Hawkeyes, recording 153 receptions for 1,786 yards and five touchdowns while ranking first all-time in Iowa tight end receptions. As an NFL rookie in 2023, LaPorta set the franchise tight end record with 86 receptions, 889 yards, and 10 touchdowns, earning Second-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Through two seasons, he ranks first in receptions (146) and tied-for-second in receiving touchdowns (17) among tight ends in NFL history. In 2025, LaPorta has 40 receptions for 489 yards and three touchdowns.

Iowathrough 2022

Lions2023 — present

CollegeIowaDraftRound 2 · No. 34 overall · 2023 · DETHometownHighland, IL