Sam
LaPorta
TE
#87
Sam LaPorta
#87TE
Detroit Lions
Height : 6' 3" · Weight : 245 lbs · Age : 25
NFL record
| Year | Team | GP | REC | TGTS | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | FD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Detroit Lions | 3 | 14 | 19 | 144 | 10.3 | 1 | 28 | 7 |
| 2025 | Detroit Lions | 9 | 40 | 49 | 489 | 12.2 | 3 | 40 | 23 |
| 2024 | Detroit Lions | 16 | 60 | 83 | 726 | 12.1 | 7 | 52 | 39 |
| 2023 | Detroit Lions | 17 | 86 | 120 | 889 | 10.3 | 10 | 48 | 48 |
Contract
Detroit Lions payroll →- 2026 cap number
- 6.74 M$
- Average per year
- 2.37 M$
- Total value
- 9.5 M$
- Seasons left
- 1 · through 2026
2026
6.74 M$
Partially guaranteed
Cap number: the season's salary plus the share of the signing bonus spread over the contract. Total value and average per year cover the whole contract, from its signing.
Advanced stats, 2026 Tight ends (receiving)
NFL stats →2026 season, in progress (3 games played). The percentile ranks the player among regular tight ends (receiving): 90th means better than 90% of them.
EPA per target
+0.51
86th percentile
Target share
17.3 %
68th percentile
Separation
4.0 yd
77th percentile
Drops
—
Targets
19
80th percentile
Receptions
14
76th percentile
Catch rate
73.7 %
58th percentile
Receiving yards
144
80th percentile
Yards after catch
74
71th percentile
Receiving TDs
1
61th percentile
Regular season. Data: nflverse (play-by-play, snap counts), Next Gen Stats, Pro Football Reference. EPA: expected points added. CPOE: completion percentage over expected.
2026 end-of-season projection
NFL trends →Projected WAR
0.3
Games
17
WAR 2026
0.1
Games played
3
WAR already earned, plus his pace (WAR per game over the last three seasons, 60/25/15, pulled toward the group average) over his team's remaining games, given his availability so far.
Trend
→ Stable (-1)
- 20230.4 WAR · 0.024 per game
- 20240.3 WAR · 0.019 per game
- 20250.3 WAR · 0.033 per game
- 20260.1 WAR · 0.033 per game
The trend compares this season's WAR per game with last season's, weighted by games played.
Outlook, age included
+9 · 25 y.o. · prime years
It is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes.
Player ratings, 2026
All ratings →Ratings from 0 to 100, computed over four seasons from data, never by hand, against regulars in the same position group. 75 = established regular, 87 = 90th percentile, 95+ = elite.
OV · Overall
91
Star
- REC
- Receiving
- 91
- SEP
- Separation
- 79
- ELU
- Elusiveness
- 84
- HND
- Hands
- 86
- DUR
- Durability
- 60
- EX
- Experience
- 50
Why these ratings?Hide details
- REC — Receiving : Expected points added and yards per target
- SEP — Separation : Separation from the defender at the throw (Next Gen Stats)
- ELU — Elusiveness : Yards over expected, after contact or catch, broken tackles
- HND — Hands : Drops avoided, catches per target
- DUR — Durability : Games played out of his team's, over several seasons
- EX — Experience : Seasons in the NFL
WAR and PAL Rating, 2026
How we rate →WAR: the EPA (expected points added) of every play, above replacement level, shared among those who made it, then converted to wins (35.3 points = one win). PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against regulars in the same group (50 = median).
WAR
0.1
#1 of 33 regular tight ends (receiving)
PAL Rating
83 / 100
#6 of 33 regular tight ends (receiving)
Value Rating · 2025
100 / 100
2025 PAL (99) against 2026 salary: the contract's average per year (APY), $2.4M.PAL expected for this salary: 17Rookie-scale contract: a salary set by the draft, not the market.PAL: dimensions
Where WAR comes from (in wins)
25% of the EPA of passes thrown his way (the QB and line get the rest), above replacement.
| Season | Team | G | WAR | PAL | OV | Rec | Rec yds | TD | EPA/tgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | DET | 3 | 0.1 | 83 | 91 | 14 | 144 | 1 | +0.51 |
| 2025 | DET | 9 | 0.3 | 99 | 84 | 40 | 489 | 3 | +0.74 |
| 2024 | DET | 16 | 0.3 | 86 | 86 | 60 | 726 | 7 | +0.38 |
| 2023 | DET | 17 | 0.4 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 889 | 10 | +0.33 |
Sam LaPorta in five questions
What are Sam LaPorta's stats in 2026?
Sam LaPorta has 14 catches for 144 yards and 1 touchdown in 3 games in 2026.
How old and how tall is Sam LaPorta?
Sam LaPorta is 25 years old. He is 6'3" (191 cm) and weighs 245 lb (111 kg).
How good is Sam LaPorta?
Sam LaPorta produced 0.1 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2026 (season in progress), 7th of 33 players at his position in the NFL. His PAL rating is 83 out of 100: excellent for his position.
What number does Sam LaPorta wear, and what team does he play for?
Sam LaPorta plays for Detroit Lions in the NFL, at TE, and wears number 87.
What is Sam LaPorta's projection for 2026?
Our projection has him at 0.3 WAR over the full 2026 season, based on his weighted recent seasons and age.
