Sam LaPorta Is Lions MVP

Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta deserves to be Lions' 2023 MVP.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs have a star tight end (Travis Kelce). The defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles have a pretty good tight end themselves (Dallas Goedert).

Meanwhile, the NFC runners-up from last year, the San Francisco 49ers, like the Chiefs, possess one of the best tight ends in the game (George Kittle).

And now, the Lions, standing at 9-3 and in first place in the NFC North division, are equipped with a play-making tight end of their own: Sam LaPorta.

In just his first season, LaPorta, the No. 34 overall pick in this past April's NFL Draft, has become one of Jared Goff's most reliable targets.

As LaPorta has done all season long, he came up with big catch after big catch in Detroit's 33-28 win over the Saints Sunday. He finished the Week 13 contest with a career-best stat line: nine catches for 140 yards and a touchdown. It was the most yards recorded in a game by a rookie tight end in franchise history.

And, perhaps his best catch of the afternoon came when the Lions needed it the most in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Facing a third-and-7 on its own 43-yard line, Detroit dialed up a pass play over the middle for LaPorta. The first-year pro proceeded to haul in the contested throw, moving the chains for the Lions on their final drive of the game.

“Yeah, (I'm) as comfortable (with him) as anyone I've played with, and for a rookie, that's pretty tremendous,” Goff said of LaPorta after the game. “I'd compare it directly to what ‘Saint’ (Amon-Ra St. Brown) was doing as a rookie, as far as on the field and off the field and the type of pro he is, knowing his assignments. He rarely has a (missed assignment) and rarely has a rookie mistake. Very rarely. Such a reliable guy and a guy that I count on in those crunch times.”

LaPorta, himself, has developed an unwavering confidence that he’s going to come up with the timely catch for Goff.

“You’ve kind of got to play every play as if you’re going to make those big plays and then move on, good play or bad play,” the rookie tight end said postgame. “So, you can acknowledge those things throughout the week, like, ‘Hey, that might be a good play for me on Sunday afternoon.’ But, you’ve got to bring it to life.”

Just as was the case against New Orleans, LaPorta has seemingly made the most of every single opportunity afforded to him this season. And, the rookie pass-catcher has the numbers to show for it.

Grades: Jared Goff Delivers in Fourth Quarter to Seal Victory

Through 12 games in 2023, the Iowa product has caught 64 passes for 679 yards and six touchdowns, while hauling in a commendable 74 percent of his targets. With those numbers, he's the first tight end in NFL history to amass at least 55 receptions, 550 yards and six touchdowns through 12 career games.

On another impressive note, he's also now one of only six players in league history to record 60-or-more receptions, 675-or-more receiving yards and six receiving scores in 12 career games.

Undoubtedly, LaPorta is enjoying one of the best debut seasons for a tight end in NFL history. Yet, he hasn't allowed any of the success to get to his head.

He's, instead, remained as humble as he originally was when the Lions selected him on the second night of the 2023 draft.

And, as much as the individual accolades have been great to rack up, the first-year pro has most enjoyed contributing to Detroit's fast start to the ‘23 campaign.

“I think I'm surrounded by a lot of people. Great teammates, great coaches, great support -- with my family and friends, so they just tell me to do what I love. I love playing football, and when it's not a chore, it doesn't really feel like a job," LaPorta told reporters Sunday. "You're just out there with your buddies running around, and yeah, it's great that we're having success. It definitely helps and makes you want to work harder when you're having success and adding value to the team.”

LaPorta has added immense value to the Lions throughout his rookie season.

Goff and Detroit's offense, as a whole, are undeniably more efficient because of his presence in the passing game.

He has rarely looked like a first-year player, and more often than not, has come up with the big-time catch in the crucial moments of games.

And, for this reason, there's an argument to be made that LaPorta – and not Amon-Ra St. Brown or Detroit's dynamic running back duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs – has been the Lions’ MVP this season.