The University of Iowa Hawkeyes have developed quality NFL tight ends like Noah Fant, Dallas Clark, T.J. Hockenson, and George Kittle. They can add Sam LaPorta to that list even if he hasn’t finished his rookie season with the Detroit Lions.

He’s a massive part of their success, especially on offense, leading them to a 10-4 record after Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season. In their game against the Denver Broncos, three of his five catches were for touchdowns. That made him the eighth rookie tight end in league history to have two multiple-touchdown games.

His success isn’t a one-off thing because he has 71 catches for 758 yards and nine touchdowns for the season. He has already passed Calvin Johnson for the third-most receiving yards by a Lions player in his rookie season.

Meanwhile, his touchdown receptions tie him with Junior Miller for the third-most touchdown catches by a rookie tight end. Super Bowl champion head coach Mike Ditka holds the record with 12, set in 1961 with the Chicago Bears. LaPorta is also one shy of Rob Gronkowski’s touchdown total in 2010.

His scoring catches also made the Lions the only team this season to have four players with at least seven touchdowns. David Montgomery has ten, while Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown have seven apiece.

LaPorta and Odell Beckham Jr. are the only players in NFL history to have 70 receptions, 750 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns through their first 14 games.

The rookie tight end can add more yards and touchdown grabs in the Lions’ three remaining regular-season games. Two are against the Minnesota Vikings, while the other is a road game versus the Dallas Cowboys.

Sam LaPorta needs at least 242 yards to reach 1,000 in his rookie year. Doing so puts him in lofty company with Ditka (1,076 yards in 1961) and Kyle Pitts (1,026 yards in 2021).

-Lance Fernandez