Allen Park — When rookies show up to the first NFL offseason program, the general public is obsessed with where they’re at.
Where are they at in terms of draft expectations vs. reality? Where are they at on the depth chart? Where are they at in their development since showing up five minutes ago?
And while plenty of nice things were written and said about where Detroit Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta was “at” during OTAs and minicamp, his position coach wouldn’t bite on amplifying expectations to end the offseason programs.
“He’s right where he needs to be,” Lions tight end coach Steve Heiden said. “He’s doing a good job, every day.”
LaPorta, 22, was a second-round pick out of Iowa in April’s NFL Draft. Heiden, 46, knows a thing or two about how to coach a player like that.
Heiden was himself a 1999 third-round pick by the San Diego Chargers as a tight end out of South Dakota State. He also coached a second-rounder (Trey McBride, Colorado State) in his final season as the Arizona Cardinals’ tight ends coach before coming to Detroit this offseason.
Heiden is applying both experiences to his molding of LaPorta, whom he described as “light-hearted. Quirky. Always has a smile on his face. Always willing to come to work. He’s a joy to be around.”
“I think the biggest thing is just trying to put him in as many situations as possible. That includes the classroom, showing him film and then, to be honest, it’s really about getting out there and getting on the field,” Heiden said. “Feeling the speed of the game and just learning on the grass, that’s the best way to go about it. Throw him out there, feet to the fire, let’s go.”
Until pads go on at the start of training camp, too much can’t be said for LaPorta’s all-around readiness for Week 1. He’s shown plenty as a pass catcher, but his value at the tight-end position has yet to be seen from a mental and blocking standpoint.
Still, there is something to be said for LaPorta’s early connection with the team’s quarterbacks — and perhaps more importantly, their trust in him.
“He’s done a great job. He really has. Gets himself open, able to separate, has great hands, is smart, is learning,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “Making rookie mistakes but is still getting a lot better and you really don’t see him make the same mistake twice, which is encouraging. … He’s done a hell of a job.”
For what it’s worth, it sounds as though LaPorta is making a good impression on his non-quarterback teammates as well.
“I like Sam LaPorta,” rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs said, when asked who stood out.
“Yeah, that’s my dude. Hilarious. He moves really good for his size. He doesn’t really drop a lot of passes.”
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi