Daniel Kelley from FTN Fantasy just dropped a bold prediction that's gonna have Lions fans absolutely hyped: tight end Sam LaPorta is set to blast through his career high in receiving yards this 2026 season. Yeah, you heard that right, a *career high*. Forget what you thought you knew about his production curve, because if Kelley is right, LaPorta is about to go OFF.
LaPorta's "Decline" Was a Head Fake
Look, on paper, it seems like LaPorta’s numbers have been dropping since his rookie season. He burst onto the scene in 2023 with a monster 86 catches, 889 yards, and 10 touchdowns, playing all 17 games. Then, 2024 saw him drop to 60 catches for 736 yards and seven scores. Last season, an injury-shortened 2025 meant just 40 catches, 489 yards, and three touchdowns. Anyone just glancing at those totals would think his production was trending down. But Kelley says that's missing the bigger picture entirely. As he puts it, "LaPorta’s rookie year being his best year is almost entirely a product of two things: Playing time and touchdowns. That rookie year was his only year playing all 17 games." When you break down the numbers on a rate basis, his productivity actually *improved* even in that injury-hit 2025 season!Why This Season Is Lining Up for Absolute Fire
Kelley points to some fascinating stats that show 2025, despite being cut short, was actually LaPorta's most efficient year. He set career highs in yards per game with 54.3, yards per target at 10.0, and yards per route run, hitting 1.8. Those are elite numbers, showing he was making the most of every opportunity when he was on the field. Plus, the Lions are rolling with a new offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing, who just helped tight end Trey McBride put up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Cardinals. Talk about a perfect storm! LaPorta is recovering from his back injury, but all signs point to him being ready for training camp. Add in that this is the final year of his rookie contract, and everything is truly in place for him to have a monster year.Quick Hits from Around the League
Away from the LaPorta buzz, there’s some other chatter heating up. Over on The Feed, AttilaTheHun dropped a prediction that linebacker Erick Hunter could be a Year 1 special team beast and might even develop into a box safety, a la Nick Emmanwori. Also, Albert Breer and Conor Orr weighed in on the Terrion Arnold situation, calling it "unprecedented" and aren't even sure if he’ll play football this year, with "All eyes are on the commissioner." And if you're starving for content, Amon-Ra St. Brown did an NFL Network interview about his offseason and camp, but let's be real, his answers were pretty boilerplate media training stuff. But really, all eyes should be on LaPorta. If he stays healthy and Petzing unleashes him, we could be looking at a record-setting season. It's time to see if those rate stats translate to raw dominance!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.