Last season, Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was one of the most impressive pass catchers in the NFL. The Iowa Hawkeyes product recorded 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns during his rookie season, making the Pro Bowl.

That kind of production is almost unheard of for a first-year tight end, so it looked like LaPorta was poised to establish himself as one of the most dominant weapons in the NFL.

Fast forward to its second season, and that was hardly the case.

While the Lions were great as a collective unit, LaPorta was underwhelming, completing just 28 passes for 385 yards and three scores in 10 games.

Yes, the 23-year-old is banged up, but that’s a very poor performance for a player who was so outstanding in his first year.

Most recently, LaPorta had just three catches for 19 yards in Detroit’s win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. He has collected just eight grabs in his last three contests and has five receptions just once all season.

To be fair, LaPorta plays in a strong Lions offense that also includes wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams in the air attack.

Still, most would have expected a much more efficient season from LaPorta, who put together some very impressive seasons at Iowa.

LaPorta spent four years with the Hawkeyes, collecting 153 receptions for 1,786 yards and five touchdowns.

We’ll see if the former second-round pick can raise his level of play for Detroit as the regular season comes to a close.