After having a historic rookie season in 2023, Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is making his debut on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024 list, which is voted on by players.
According to Christian Gonzales of NFL.com, LaPorta lands at No. 80 on the list. Here's what was said about the budding star tight end:
"It took only one season for LaPorta to earn his first Pro Bowl nod and be named in the Top 100 list," Gonzales wrote. "He emerged as a solid foundation piece for the Lions. With his 86 receptions during the regular season, LaPorta set the tight end rookie record for most catches in a season. He was also the only tight end with 80-plus catches, 800-plus receiving yards and seven-plus touchdowns, per NFL Research."
Sam LaPorta is the first Lions player on the NFL Top 100 list at #80 #OnePride pic.twitter.com/irrH1dU9U3
— Honolulu Blues (@HonoluluBlues_) July 23, 2024
LaPorta was a home-run pick for the Lions in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Iowa product's 86 receptions, 889 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns ranked first, fourth and second among rookie tight ends in NFL history.
For his efforts, LaPorta received a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro nod in his first season.
With a year of experience under his belt, and with wide receiver Josh Reynolds having departed for the Denver Broncos in free agency, leaving more targets up for grabs, LaPorta is primed to have an even better season in 2024, which could propel him into the conversation as the best tight end in the NFL.
