Allen Park — The Lions love them some Iowa. On Friday night, Detroit selected Hawkeyes tight end Sam LaPorta with pick No. 34, and for the first time this draft, the selection was fairly well-received online.
Of course, that doesn't mean the pick is without its detractors.
The Lions got rid of their previous Iowa tight end during the middle of last season, sending T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota, and have replaced him with a much cheaper option in LaPorta — who, like first-round selections Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell, has been mocked to go later than the Lions ended up taking him.