Pride of Detroit
For the second straight year, Lions TE Sam LaPorta has been voted as a top-100 player according to his peers.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta has cracked the NFL Top 100 list for the second straight season.
For the uninitiated, every year since 2021, the NFL has dropped a list of the top-100 players in the league, as voted by the players during the previous season. This year, the NFL is really milking the list, dropping just two names per day. The list kicked off this week, and LaPorta officially came in at 94 overall.
The good part of this list is that each player gets their own video tribute, filled with testimonials from fellow players and highlights from their game. Here’s a look at LaPorta’s video for this year:
“He’s a freak,” 49ers tight end George Kittle says in the video. “And the way that Detroit schemes him up, they do a great job. And he had like two touchdowns off trick plays.”
The announcer then quickly corrects Kittle that it was actually three plays: a reverse flea flicker vs. the Cowboys, the stumblebum vs. the Bears, and a touchdown catch from running back David Montgomery.
LaPorta made the list in 2024, as well. However, he was a bit higher on the list—No. 80 overall—after posting one of the best rookie seasons in tight end history. Last year, his numbers took a slight step back, finishing with 60 catches, 726 yards, and seven touchdowns—ranking 11th, sixth, and and t-fourth in each respective stat among tight ends.
Last year, five Lions made the list: LaPorta, Jared Goff (48), Aidan Hutchinson (47), Amon-Ra St. Brown (23), and Penei Sewell (22). It seems likely the Lions could have a couple more names on that list this year—particularly Jahmyr Gibbs, Kerby Joseph, and Brian Branch.
