Lions-Packers Key Matchup: Sam LaPorta vs. Quay Walker

Can Sam LaPorta keep up explosive start to NFL career in Week 4?

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes looks like a genius so far for taking Sam LaPorta in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Through three NFL games, the No. 34 overall pick this past April has more than exceeded expectations.

The first-year tight end has accumulated at least five catches in each contest, including a career-best eight receptions on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. He finished the Lions’ Week 3 tilt with a career-high 84 yards and his very first NFL touchdown.

Additionally, LaPorta owns 18 catches through three games, an NFL record for a rookie tight end in that amount of games.

.@Lions TE @Samlaporta has established a new @NFL record for the most receptions through three-career games by a TE (18).

He also ranks 2nd in receiving yards (186+).#OnePride pic.twitter.com/GVmDDa86sO

— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) September 24, 2023

Detroit signal-caller Jared Goff believes "the sky's the limit" for the Iowa product.

"He's a stud," Goff said of LaPorta after Sunday's win over Atlanta. "He's a stud, and has great feel for the game. He has great hands, obviously. He has good speed, blocks well when we ask him to block. And, I know for me personally, he does a great job in the route progression. And, I think the most exciting part about him – and I'm sure he'd say this – is he's not even playing as well as he really could. You know, there's still some little rookie things that happen here or there. The sky's the limit for him, and it's going to be fun to hopefully play with him for a long time."

Now, LaPorta is set to face a Green Bay Packers defense that has allowed a total of 13 catches and 129 yards to tight ends to start the 2023 season.

Expect the Packers to put multiple defenders, including safeties Rudy Ford and Darnell Savage, on the 6-foot-4, 249-pounder throughout Thursday night's contest. Yet, I'm most intrigued by seeing Green Bay inside linebacker Quay Walker match up with the first-year pro.

Walker, who is known for possessing terrific speed, leads all Packers defenders this season with 28 total tackles. He's also coming off a super productive rookie campaign, in which he recorded a team-high 121 total tackles and produced seven passes defensed and three forced fumbles.

Additionally, through three games this year, Walker has posted a Pro Football Focus pass-coverage grade of 80.7 and has already intercepted a pass. He's a force to be reckoned with over the middle of the field, and should do at least a decent job of sticking with LaPorta in coverage in Detroit's Week 4 tilt in Green Bay.

Still, I'm predicting that LaPorta ends up with four catches and around 50 yards in his first career game against the Packers.