Drafting on LaPorta Potty, a 🧵
✅ Athletic Freak - 6'3 245 lbs w/ a 4.59 40
✅ Production - 111 rec, 1326 rec yds in '21-'22 (27% tgt share)
✅ John Mackay Runner-Up from Tight End U
Sam Laporta checks the boxes, but can he be an elite fantasy TE?
Let's dive into the film 🔽
✅ Athletic Freak
Elite fantasy TEs are all athletic freaks. Look at Waller, Gronk, Kittle, Kelce, the list goes on.
Sam Laporta is 6'3 245 lbs and runs a 4.59 40-yard dash.
The boy can MOVE!
Laporta is deadly in open space and possesses ELITE quickness (6.91 3-cone drill 97th percentile)
He's constantly forcing missed tackles either with quickness or physicality
Watch him use both here 👀
Elite NFL TEs make insane plays in college!
Go back and watch Gronk or Kelce film. You'll be wondering how NFL teams watched these dudes play and didn't see star power!
Here's Laporta showing flashes of that ability
✅ Production
Laporta was equally productive in both his Junior and Senior seasons.
2021 stats: 55 Rec, 670 yards, 3 TDs
2022 stats: 58 Rec, 656 yards, 1 TD (Iowa only scored 7 Pass TDs in 2022)
He led Iowa in rec yds in '21 and '22 and was the team's primary playmaker👀
Laporta was consistently targeted downfield and he was used all over the formation
He lined up in the slot or out-wide about 33% of the time, showing off the versatility cherished by the NFL
Here he is making impressive plays lined up in-line and out-wide
Laporta's biggest strength is his YAC ability.
He averaged an ABSURD 31.1 yards after the catch, which ranks second in the 2023 class (s/o @DynastyNerds).
Laporta is DANGEROUS in the open field
@DynastyNerds ✅ John Mackay Award Runner-Up from Tight End U
Sam Laporta was arguably the second-best TE in the country behind Georgia's Brock Bowers.
He also attended Iowa University or, Tight End U.
And Laporta stacks up well against former Iowa TEs in the NFL 🔽
Laporta was the focal point of the Iowa offense all season!
It's rare for Power 5 schools to channel their offense through a TE, but count on Iowa to find a way.
When it takes 3,4, even 5 defenders to tackle Laporta, you can see why 👀
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This week's episode of the Unending Rebuild features the top 4 TEs of the 2023 NFL Rookie class!
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