Lions tight end coach Steve Heiden said that LaPorta is expected to play a big role in the offense from the start of the season, Tim Twentyman of the team's official site reports.
Detroit's second-round pick has impressed throughout spring practices and minicamp as a do-it-all tight end. While LaPorta will probably have a harder time standing out when the pads come on in training camp this upcoming week, the presence of incumbent starter Brock Wright could at least allow the rookie time to grow into his blocking responsibilities. Since LaPorta may have a shallower learning curve as a receiver, the Iowa product could realistically complement the blocking-proficient Wright from the get-go. However, it is unknown whether LaPorta's role will quickly translate to fantasy-worthy numbers, and it may be a stretch to think he can instantly replicate the 6.1 targets and 56.4 receiving yards per game that T.J. Hockenson was seeing in eight games next to Wright during the first half of the 2022 campaign.