After strong minicamp and OTA sessions, Detroit Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta has many wondering if he can make a big immediate impact, despite the long history of rookie tight ends only having a modest impact in their premiere seasons. Since 2000, only four rookie tight ends (Kyle Pitts, Jeremy Shockey, Evan Engram, and John Carlson) have surpassed 600 receiving yards in Year 1.
But George Kittle—arguably the best tight end in football—believes the future is extremely bright for the 22-year-old tight end.
“LaPorta is going to be fantastic,” Kittle said on a recent episode of the Pardon My Take podcast.