LaPorta ONLY ROOKIE TE in NFL History w/ 70 Catches/700 Yds/8 TDs in a Season. Broke Lions' 55 Yr Old Record for Most Catches in a Season by Rookie TE
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
Really great news. I thought he might be out for the year the way that looked initially.
That's why I never read his threads
I'd still be shocked if he plays Sunday. Mayybe some downs in the red zone?
that big brace will affect his mobility
was interesting to see him running around yesterday; at least the injury does not require surgery
Where is the Van Ness sack @Franisdaman ?
I couldn't find it. Lol
You are the king, please post it. 😊
I couldn't find it. Lol
You are the king, please post it. 😊
Just scored his first playoff touchdown.
Dan Campbell going for it on 4th down. Nice 6 minute drive for the Lions.
Here's a longer video:
Here's a longer video:
A bit off subject, but Alaric Jackson sure looks like the effective LT Iowa had before the weight loss as a senior that was a REALLY bad idea.
And it's no longer close.TIGHT
END
UNIVERSITY
The Lions hang on and win 24-23 and will host the winner of Tampa Bay/Philadelphia next weekend.
Sam was targeted 3 times, had 3 catches for 14 yards and the 1 Touchdown.
Sam was targeted 3 times, had 3 catches for 14 yards and the 1 Touchdown.
Worst part is that it was his own choice to stop eating meat. Not recommended by the strength and conditioning staff.
Sam is named a top 4 rookie.
The story, from ESPN:
The 2023 NFL rookie class has been memorable. This season, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud set a single-game rookie passing record in Week 9. Rams receiver Puka Nacua set an NFL record for the most receiving yards in a season by a rookie. Two running backs rushed for more than 900 yards, and 18 defenders had three or more sacks. And an NFL-record 10 rookie quarterbacks recorded a start for their team.
Now that the regular season is over, we have arrived at our final top-10 rookie rankings. This ranking takes only the regular season into consideration, so anything that happened this past weekend in the playoffs is off limits and not factored into the top 10.
We polled five of our ESPN NFL experts -- Matt Bowen, Jeff Legwold, Brooke Pryor, Matt Miller and Jordan Reid -- for a consensus ranking of the top 10 rookies. They weighed in on each player who made the list, along with three players who fell just outside the list.
Let's begin with the lone rookie QB who led his team to the playoffs.
Drafted: No. 2 overall
2023 recap: Stroud is a skilled passer who displayed the poise of a veteran player in the pocket and the ability to create plays outside of structure. He was set up to attack all three levels of the field in Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik's system, posting a league-leading 73.9 QBR versus zone coverage, while adding 66 explosive passing plays, the third most in the NFL.
Stroud led the NFL in passing yards per game (273.9) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.6). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first rookie to lead the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio (minimum 15 passing TDs). Stroud elevated the Houston offense to new heights, leading his team to the playoffs, and he is currently the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
2024 outlook: Expect Stroud to put the Texans in position to compete for the AFC South title once again. With receiver Tank Dell healthy, back in the mix and boosting the playmaking ability of the Houston passing game, Stroud could post numbers that keep him on the MVP radar. -- Bowen
Drafted: No. 177 overall
2023 recap: Nacua broke a 63-year record for receiving yards by a rookie, as he finished the regular season with 1,486 yards on his 105 receptions. That's quite the value for a fifth-round pick who had struggled with injuries at times during his college career.
Nacua makes contested catches, and his routes are crisp. He is already one of the league's best at the position, breaking tackles once he has the ball -- 43% of his receiving yards came after first contact, a remarkable number given his high volume of work.
2024 outlook: Nacua's physical style of play and intense practice habits will always put him at risk of injury. In college, he suffered his fair share of injuries that contributed to him being picked in the fifth round last April. But if healthy, there is no reason to believe he couldn't follow up his elite rookie season with another great effort for the Rams next season. -- Legwold
Drafted: No. 9 overall
2023 recap: At times, Carter has looked exactly like the player that the team traded up to select with the No. 9 overall pick. His first-step quickness and pass-rush repertoire are frequently too much for interior defenders. Carter somewhat cooled down during the final stretch of the season, but the results have still been noteworthy. His 15.7% pass rush win rate ranked second among rookies and 36th in the league.
2024 outlook: With Eagles veteran Fletcher Cox scheduled to become a free agent in the offseason, it's fair to expect an expanded role for Carter during his second season if Cox doesn't return. Carter is a clear building block for the Eagles moving forward and helps keep the team's identity of being strong in the trenches intact. He is without question a disruptive force in the middle, but the flashes of positive play will need to become more consistent in a full-time role. -- Reid
Drafted: No. 34 overall
2023 recap: From his first game, LaPorta established himself as a reliable part of the Lions' offense, catching all five targets in his debut. He finished the season by setting the NFL record for most receptions in a season by a rookie tight end.
LaPorta led the league in third-down targets among tight ends (39) and in tight end receptions (10) and receiving yards (110) in tight-window targets, underscoring quarterback Jared Goff's trust in the rookie. LaPorta didn't score his first touchdown until Week 3, but he finished with 10 scores and earned a Pro Bowl nod.
2024 outlook: Though he entered the playoffs with a knee injury sustained in Week 18, LaPorta picked right up where he left off in the regular season with a touchdown in Detroit's first home playoff victory since the 1991 season. The Lions are an ascending team, and LaPorta will be a focal point of their future success. -- Pryor
Drafted: No. 5 overall
2023 recap: Witherspoon quickly lived up to his status as the first cornerback drafted with shutdown ability. He collected one interception, which he ran back 97 yards for a touchdown, while limiting opposing quarterbacks to a completion percentage of 60.5% with 16 passes defensed. Witherspoon emerged as not just the best rookie cornerback but also one of the best pure cover players in the league.
2024 outlook: We saw 2022 draftee Riq Woolen collect six interceptions in his rookie season before struggling at times in 2023, so there's reason for caution as Seattle moves on from the Pete Carroll era defensively. That said, Witherspoon was my top-ranked corner in the '23 draft class for good reason. He has the agility, toughness and instincts to become one of the NFL's top cornerbacks in his sophomore season. -- Miller
The story, from ESPN:
Best 2023 NFL rookies: Final top-10 ranking, standouts, stats
The 2023 NFL rookie class has been memorable. This season, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud set a single-game rookie passing record in Week 9. Rams receiver Puka Nacua set an NFL record for the most receiving yards in a season by a rookie. Two running backs rushed for more than 900 yards, and 18 defenders had three or more sacks. And an NFL-record 10 rookie quarterbacks recorded a start for their team.
Now that the regular season is over, we have arrived at our final top-10 rookie rankings. This ranking takes only the regular season into consideration, so anything that happened this past weekend in the playoffs is off limits and not factored into the top 10.
We polled five of our ESPN NFL experts -- Matt Bowen, Jeff Legwold, Brooke Pryor, Matt Miller and Jordan Reid -- for a consensus ranking of the top 10 rookies. They weighed in on each player who made the list, along with three players who fell just outside the list.
Let's begin with the lone rookie QB who led his team to the playoffs.
1. C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
Stats: 4,108 passing yards, 23 TD passes, 5 INT; 3 rushing TDs, 167 rushing yardsDrafted: No. 2 overall
2023 recap: Stroud is a skilled passer who displayed the poise of a veteran player in the pocket and the ability to create plays outside of structure. He was set up to attack all three levels of the field in Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik's system, posting a league-leading 73.9 QBR versus zone coverage, while adding 66 explosive passing plays, the third most in the NFL.
Stroud led the NFL in passing yards per game (273.9) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.6). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first rookie to lead the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio (minimum 15 passing TDs). Stroud elevated the Houston offense to new heights, leading his team to the playoffs, and he is currently the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
2024 outlook: Expect Stroud to put the Texans in position to compete for the AFC South title once again. With receiver Tank Dell healthy, back in the mix and boosting the playmaking ability of the Houston passing game, Stroud could post numbers that keep him on the MVP radar. -- Bowen
2. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Stats: 105 catches, 1,486 receiving yards, 6 TDsDrafted: No. 177 overall
2023 recap: Nacua broke a 63-year record for receiving yards by a rookie, as he finished the regular season with 1,486 yards on his 105 receptions. That's quite the value for a fifth-round pick who had struggled with injuries at times during his college career.
Nacua makes contested catches, and his routes are crisp. He is already one of the league's best at the position, breaking tackles once he has the ball -- 43% of his receiving yards came after first contact, a remarkable number given his high volume of work.
2024 outlook: Nacua's physical style of play and intense practice habits will always put him at risk of injury. In college, he suffered his fair share of injuries that contributed to him being picked in the fifth round last April. But if healthy, there is no reason to believe he couldn't follow up his elite rookie season with another great effort for the Rams next season. -- Legwold
T-3. Jalen Carter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
Stats: 33 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 defensive TDDrafted: No. 9 overall
2023 recap: At times, Carter has looked exactly like the player that the team traded up to select with the No. 9 overall pick. His first-step quickness and pass-rush repertoire are frequently too much for interior defenders. Carter somewhat cooled down during the final stretch of the season, but the results have still been noteworthy. His 15.7% pass rush win rate ranked second among rookies and 36th in the league.
2024 outlook: With Eagles veteran Fletcher Cox scheduled to become a free agent in the offseason, it's fair to expect an expanded role for Carter during his second season if Cox doesn't return. Carter is a clear building block for the Eagles moving forward and helps keep the team's identity of being strong in the trenches intact. He is without question a disruptive force in the middle, but the flashes of positive play will need to become more consistent in a full-time role. -- Reid
T-3. Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions
Stats: 86 catches, 889 receiving yards, 10 TDsDrafted: No. 34 overall
2023 recap: From his first game, LaPorta established himself as a reliable part of the Lions' offense, catching all five targets in his debut. He finished the season by setting the NFL record for most receptions in a season by a rookie tight end.
LaPorta led the league in third-down targets among tight ends (39) and in tight end receptions (10) and receiving yards (110) in tight-window targets, underscoring quarterback Jared Goff's trust in the rookie. LaPorta didn't score his first touchdown until Week 3, but he finished with 10 scores and earned a Pro Bowl nod.
2024 outlook: Though he entered the playoffs with a knee injury sustained in Week 18, LaPorta picked right up where he left off in the regular season with a touchdown in Detroit's first home playoff victory since the 1991 season. The Lions are an ascending team, and LaPorta will be a focal point of their future success. -- Pryor
5. Devon Witherspoon, CB, Seattle Seahawks
Stats: 79 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 INT, 1 defensive TD, 12 pass breakupsDrafted: No. 5 overall
2023 recap: Witherspoon quickly lived up to his status as the first cornerback drafted with shutdown ability. He collected one interception, which he ran back 97 yards for a touchdown, while limiting opposing quarterbacks to a completion percentage of 60.5% with 16 passes defensed. Witherspoon emerged as not just the best rookie cornerback but also one of the best pure cover players in the league.
2024 outlook: We saw 2022 draftee Riq Woolen collect six interceptions in his rookie season before struggling at times in 2023, so there's reason for caution as Seattle moves on from the Pete Carroll era defensively. That said, Witherspoon was my top-ranked corner in the '23 draft class for good reason. He has the agility, toughness and instincts to become one of the NFL's top cornerbacks in his sophomore season. -- Miller
6. Will Anderson Jr., DE, Houston Texans
Stats: 45 tackles, 7 sacksDrafted: No. 3 overall
2023 recap: Anderson's pass rush win rate of 25.8% ranked third in the league, behind only Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett. Anderson plays a disruptive role for DeMeco Ryans' defense and currently is one of the top candidates for Defensive Rookie of the Year. His first-step quickness, power and active hands put him in a position to attack the pocket. He's a developing force with a high ceiling.
2024 outlook: Since Anderson is playing in a defensive system that will create pass-rush matchups from multiple fronts, I fully expect him to produce double-digit sacks in '24. Ryans can set him up on schemed one-on-ones, while also maximizing his traits off twists and stunts to generate hits on the quarterback. -- Bowen
7. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
Stats: 182 carries, 945 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs; 52 catches, 316 receiving yards, 1 receiving TDDrafted: No. 12 overall
2023 recap: David Montgomery led the Lions in rushing, but it was Gibbs who left many eager for more. Gibbs consistently flashed his speed and explosiveness -- 14.8% of his carries went for 10-plus yards, and his 18.98 mph max speed when crossing the line of scrimmage while running the ball was the 10th best measured this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
But Gibbs didn't consistently get a large volume in the Lions' attack. He had six games with fewer than 10 carries and had just one game with more than 15 -- his 26-carry, 152-yard effort in Week 8 against the Raiders. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry, and his 10 rushing touchdowns ranked 10th in the league.
2024 outlook: Gibbs is always going to be a difficult matchup for defenses because of his quickness and top-end speed. It will be about how the Lions carve out opportunities for him, especially if offensive coordinator Ben Johnson moves on to be a head coach elsewhere. There might be room in the passing game for a little more work, given Gibbs had seven games this season with four or fewer receptions. -- Legwold
T-8. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Stats: 214 carries, 976 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs; 58 receptions, 487 receiving yards, 4 TD catchesDrafted: No. 8 overall
2023 recap: Robinson entered his first season in the NFL with major expectations. Despite an unclear role and inconsistent involvement in a stagnant Falcons offense, his rookie year involved plenty of flashes. He concluded the season as a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year and has proven he has the potential to be a lead back. Robinson has an uncanny ability to break tackles to create new opportunities even if runs aren't always blocked cleanly.
2024 outlook: Entering a new offense during his sophomore campaign, Robinson has a skill set that translates in any scheme and the talent to make a major sophomore leap. He's also capable of being used frequently in the passing game. -- Reid
T-8. Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Stats: 70 catches, 911 receiving yards, 10 TD catchesDrafted: No. 23 overall
2023 recap: With Justin Jefferson's injury, Addison stepped into a big role as a rookie and was more than ready for the moment. He was 89 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season and recorded 10 touchdowns. With the Vikings' offensive woes and quarterback carousel after Kirk Cousins was injured, Addison didn't put up big numbers consistently, but he had a couple of breakout games with two 100-yard performances, including one in a Week 7 win against the 49ers.
2024 outlook: While Addison showed he could have an impact regardless of the quarterback, a big part of his outlook hinges on who will be throwing the ball for Minnesota in 2024, and how that quarterback will distribute touches between Addison, Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson. -- Pryor
10. De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Stats: 103 carries, 800 rushing yards, 8 rushing TDs; 27 catches, 197 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDsDrafted: No. 84 overall
2023 recap: The Dolphins' third-rounder was one of the league's most electric players when healthy, averaging 7.8 yards per carry. Achane also acquitted himself nicely as a receiving option out of the backfield, tying Robinson for the most receiving touchdowns by a rookie back (three).
2024 outlook: Staying healthy will be the key for the speedy Achane in Year 2. The Dolphins missed his explosiveness during his six-game absence, and with Raheem Mostert's contract expiring after next season, we could see Achane, who is on an inexpensive rookie deal, take over a larger role in the offense. A 1,000-yard season in Mike McDaniels' offense seems like a lock, and a 1,400-yard all-purpose year with double-digit touchdowns is realistic. -- Miller
Just missed
Byron Young, OLB, Los Angeles Rams
It's safe to say the Rams crushed the third round in last April's draft with Young and Kobie Turner. Young was a constant in the Rams' defense, tallying 61 tackles, eight sacks, 19 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. He really came out of the gate strong with 11 of those quarterback hits in the Rams' first six games. -- Legwold
Kobie Turner, DT, Los Angeles Rams
When you tie Aaron Donald's rookie sack record (nine) as Turner did this season -- including 2.5 against the Giants in Week 17 -- you've done something right. Turner, who usually played on the nose in the Rams' defense, had eight sacks from Week 9 on. -- Legwold
Tank Dell, WR, Houston Texans
Dell's season ended with a fractured fibula suffered in the Texans' Week 13 win over the Broncos. Still, Dell finished third on the team in receptions (47) and second in receiving yards (709) and touchdowns (seven). The Texans had two of the 21 qualifying players who averaged more than 15 yards per reception this season -- Nico Collins at seventh (16.2 yards per catch) and Dell at 20th (15.1 yards). -- Legwold
Stacking the top 10 rookies of the season: Who makes our final ranking?
Let's rank the best rookie standouts, from C.J. Stroud to Jalen Carter. Plus, we take a glimpse into their 2024 outlook.
