Sam LaPorta, the Iowa TE, sits at No. 56 on the consensus board across 26 public boards. The tier model reads him as an impact starter — 64% elite, 24% starter.
Instincts
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein: “LaPorta has the ability to threaten zone coverage and will make the basic catches.”
Production Context
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein: “Highly targeted tight end whose playing style and physical abilities land somewhere between a connected (in-line or wing) and move tight end.”
Production Context
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein: “However, he lacks the desired elusiveness and ball skills to come away with the more challenging catches.”
Role and scheme fit
The archetype rules read him as a move-TE.
Sources · 4 · quotes 2
The report above is our synthesis. These links preserve the research trail; quoted language below remains the source's own.
- Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
- Bucky Brooks, NFL Network
- Lance Zierlein, nfl_com_zierlein
- Bucky Brooks, nflcom_bucky_brooks
“…Highly targeted tight end whose playing style and physical abilities land somewhere between a connected (in-line or wing) and move tight end. LaPorta has the ability to threaten zone coverage and will make the basic catches. However, he lacks the desired elusiveness and ball skills to come away with the more challenging catches. LaPorta takes on run-blocking chores with inconsistent positioning but has the potential…”
“…LaPorta is an underrated playmaker with intriguing tools as a pass-catching tight end. The Iowa standout is a crafty seam runner who can control the middle of the field as a secondary option in the passing game.…”
Sourced synthesis from 4 scouting sources, not original film. How these reports are written →