By: Michael Higgins

School: Iowa

Class: Redshirt Senior

Position: TE

HT: 6’5

WT: 253 lbs

Background: Luke Lachey is a former consensus 4-star tight end from Columbus, Ohio in the class of 2020. Lachey played for Grandview High School in Ohio as both a tight end and defensive back. Luke’s father, Jim, played football for Ohio State. Lachey was an all-state and all-conference selection in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. He was also an All-Ohio Academic member throughout high school. Alongside football, Lachey ran track and played basketball for Grandview. Lachey chose to play for Iowa over his father’s Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin.

College: Lachey redshirted in 2020 but saw consistent action in 2021, earning three starts. In 2022, Lachey was an All-Big 10 honorable mention after catching 28 passes for 398 yards. Lachey was poised for an even bigger 2023 campaign, making the Mackey Award watchlist, but he suffered a season-ending injury in the third game of the season. Lachey came back in 2024, but did not have the season that he wanted in a subpar offense. He had 28 catches for 231 touchdowns. Lachey was an all-conference academic selection every year that he was at Iowa.

Strengths: Luke Lachey is a vertical threat in between the hashmarks. He can stretch the field from anywhere on the field as he is alignment versatile. Lachey is physical at the catchpoint, making contested catches on a consistent basis. He high points the football and has strong hands to bring the football in. While being lined up around the hashmarks, he can make plays outside the numbers. He has no problem with being physical with boundary corners to go up and win a jump ball. He has sticky hands with a large catch radius to provide for an easy target for his quarterback. Lachey excels on option routes where he can find soft spots in zone coverage around the intermediate areas of the field. On his routes, he sets defenders up well to leverage them and create an open target.

Weaknesses: Lachey is not the most athletic tight end in the world. He relies on fundamentals, which can make him a successful player, but he is athletically limited. Lachey is not a burner and will not win with speed or strength. Lachey is a poor blocker – he gets beat fairly easily and is not an adequate blocker at the line of scrimmage. Luke Lachey has endured a handful of serious injuries during his time at Iowa. He will come into the league with plenty of concerns for reinjury.

Conclusion: Luke Lachey is an instinctive and smart tight end. He wins due to a high football IQ and a good feel for the game. His ability to go up and make a play in traffic will be a highly coveted asset for a gunslinging quarterback. If he can stay healthy, he will be a reliable rotational tight end right away.

Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile

Ideal Role: Developmental Y TE

Best Team Fits: DEN, NO, CAR

Player Comparison: Noah Gray

Player Grade: 3rd Round (78.2)