A Packers writer has Sam LaPorta sitting third in the NFC North tight end pecking order for 2026, and that’s enough to stir the pot in a division that’s suddenly stacked at the position.
Sayre Bedinger of Lombardi Ave put Chicago’s Colston Loveland first, Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft second, and LaPorta third ahead of Minnesota’s T.J. Hockenson. For a Detroit Lions tight end who has already built a reputation as one of the most dependable targets in the league, that’s a notable slide.
Bedinger did not dismiss LaPorta outright. He pointed to the way LaPorta’s catch percentage has climbed from 71.7% to 81.6%, calling out his reliability in the passing game. But the bigger issue in Bedinger’s view is health, after LaPorta was limited by a back injury that kept him out of the Lions’ final eight games.
If LaPorta gets back to full strength, Bedinger said there’s "no question that he's one of the top 10 in the NFL." And once Detroit feels good about where he is physically, the price tag should follow.
Loveland’s placement at No. 1 is the more aggressive call, but Bedinger has a case built on upside and production. The former Michigan standout turned in a strong rookie season for the Bears, helping them win the NFC North with 713 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions. That was close to LaPorta’s second-year line of 726 yards and seven TD receptions, a season that nearly earned him a second straight Pro Bowl nod.
There’s also the matter of context. Loveland is not coming off a major injury, though he still has to share the spotlight with Cole Kmet, which could make a sophomore dip a real possibility. Even so, Bedinger’s view is that Loveland’s first year under Ben Johnson suggests he’ll be in the conversation for this ranking for a long time.
Kraft’s spot near the top comes with its own layer of irony. Bedinger is a Packers writer, so putting Green Bay’s tight end first isn’t exactly a shock. But Kraft also missed significant time with injury and played fewer games than LaPorta.
Both tight ends are expected to be ready for the start of the 2026 season, though Kraft’s ACL tear leaves open the question of how he’ll move and how effective he’ll be. The modern medical outlook makes it easy to imagine both players returning without much trouble, and that’s the bet Bedinger is making on Kraft.
The numbers behind that belief are loud. Kraft was on pace for 68 catches, 1,040 yards and 13 touchdowns, a line that would have ranked ninth among tight ends in receptions, second in yards and first in touchdowns.
Across the league, 13 scores would have been good for second among all pass catchers, and two more than Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
LaPorta’s pace was strong too: 76 receptions, 924 yards and six touchdowns. That output was nearly identical to Second-Team All-Pro Kyle Pitts. Still, there’s uncertainty around how much a change in offensive play-caller might have mattered for LaPorta, since he played only one game with Dan Campbell calling plays.
That’s the real challenge in sorting out the NFC North’s tight end race. Injuries, projection, play-calling changes and even a new quarterback all complicate the picture. Any one of these players could end up as the division’s best this season.
But LaPorta’s track record, his consistency and the fact that he’s already done it in a high-scoring offense make him the safest pick.
At least, that’s how this Lions writer sees it.
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