Sam LaPorta + Drew Petzing: What Trey McBride's Usage Tells Us About 2026

Sam LaPorta is one of the most interesting tight ends on the board because fantasy managers are looking at two completely different things.

The first is the injury.

The second is the new offensive coordinator.

I'm actually more interested in the second one.

Because Drew Petzing just left an offense where Trey McBride became a monster.

What Happened to LaPorta in 2025?

LaPorta's season ended after nine games because of a back injury that eventually required surgery.

Before the injury:

40 receptions

489 yards

3 touchdowns

That's a 17-game pace of roughly:

76 receptions

924 yards

So even before Petzing arrived, LaPorta wasn't having a bad season.

He was actually on pace for a career high in receiving yards.

The injury simply ended it early.

The Health Question Has Improved

LaPorta underwent surgery in November.

By Detroit's first training camp practice this summer, he was a full participant.

That's huge.

If LaPorta were still limited in August, I'd be much more cautious.

Instead, he's already back practicing fully.

Now Add Drew Petzing

Petzing coordinated Arizona's offense from 2023 through 2025.

His final year with Trey McBride produced:

126 receptions

1,239 yards

11 touchdowns

McBride led every NFL tight end in receptions and receiving yards.

His 126 receptions set the NFL single-season record for a tight end.

That's not subtle TE usage.

Petzing Also Uses Heavy Tight End Personnel

This isn't just one superstar earning targets by accident.

Arizona used multiple-TE personnel at one of the highest rates in football.

Detroit was already comfortable using 12 personnel.

That makes the transition interesting.

Petzing doesn't have to convince Detroit that multiple tight ends belong on the field.

The infrastructure already exists.

LaPorta Is Not Trey McBride

This is where I don't want the historical comp getting out of control.

I'm not projecting:

126 catches for Sam LaPorta.

Detroit has too many other great options.

Amon-Ra St. Brown commands targets.

Jahmyr Gibbs commands touches.

Jameson Williams stretches the field.

This offense doesn't need LaPorta to carry the passing game the way Arizona sometimes needed McBride to.

But the Comparison Still Matters

LaPorta and McBride share the trait that matters most:

They aren't only traditional tight ends.

Both can win as receivers.

They can move around.

They can create mismatches against linebackers and safeties.

Petzing has already demonstrated that he's comfortable designing an offense where a TE like that gets real passing-game priority.

That's what I care about.

The Competition Might Actually Help

Fantasy managers sometimes treat target competition as automatically bad.

It isn't always.

Detroit's other weapons make it harder for a defense to devote special attention to LaPorta.

If a linebacker is isolated on him because the safety is worried about Jamo over the top, that's a good matchup.

If safeties are pulled toward Amon-Ra, LaPorta can find space.

An efficient offense can support several players without every player needing 150 targets.

Why LaPorta Is Interesting at TE7

ESPN currently has LaPorta at:

73 overall

TE7

That's a much different price from paying for an elite TE near the 2/3 turn.

At TE7, I'm not demanding that LaPorta outscore Brock Bowers or Trey McBride.

I'm looking for him to beat the middle tier.

Where I Would Draft Sam LaPorta

My favorite range:

Round 8 or Round 9 if I waited at TE.

If someone drafts him in Round 6, I can pass.

The TE depth this year gives me alternatives.

But if LaPorta falls into the 70s or 80s after I've spent my early rounds on RB and WR?

That's exactly the kind of value I want.

I'm getting:

• A healthy LaPorta • An elite offense • A coordinator with an extremely TE-friendly recent history • A player who already proved he can produce before the injury

I don't need the next Trey McBride.

I just need Drew Petzing to keep viewing tight end as a real weapon.

Everything in his recent history suggests he does.