Luke Lachey is one of the toughest tight end prospects to evaluate ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. His scouting report evaluates whether the inconsistency throughout his collegiate career is a reason to stay away from the 23-year-old tight end.
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Overview, Film Analysis, And 2025 Scouting Report Of Iowa TE Luke Lachey
Measurables:
6’6”
251 lbs
2025 NFL Combine Results:
Vertical Jump: 35”
Broad Jump: 10’ 0”
3-Cone Drill: 7.18 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.47 seconds
Player Background:
Luke Lachey is a former four-star recruit who played high school football for Grandview Heights HS in Columbus, Ohio. He was a member of the track and basketball teams in addition to playing tight end, defensive back, and wide receiver on the football field. Lachey enrolled with the University of Iowa during the 2020 recruiting cycle but saw limited action in his first two seasons with the Hawkeyes. After redshirting in 2020, he managed just eight catches for 133 yards as a redshirt freshman the following season.
Lachey didn’t catch his first career touchdown until week four of his sophomore season against the fourth-ranked team in the country. In that game, he posted four receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. The rest of that season was up and down for Lachey. He struggled to consistently make an impact as the second-string tight end behind former top prospect Sam LaPorta. Aside from three consecutive games with three or more receptions, Lachey was held with one or fewer catches in five of the Hawkeyes’ remaining eight games.
After LaPorta was selected by the Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, Lachey was set to make an impact, coming off the best season of his collegiate career. In the first two games of his junior season, he averaged five receptions and 66 yards per game. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious ankle injury in the third game of the season against Western Michigan. He was forced to undergo surgery on his right ankle but recovered in time to return at the start of the 2024 season.
Many had hoped Lachey would return from injury and pick up where he left off before his surgery. On a run-centric team with lacklustre quarterback play, he never got his footing back under him. While he tied a career-high with 28 receptions, Lachey couldn’t find the end zone in any of his twelve games as a redshirt senior. He averaged just over eight yards per reception and was held to 231 receiving yards in his final collegiate season.
Accolades:
East-West Shrine Bowl Selection (2025)
Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (2024)
Academic All-Big Ten (2024, ‘23, ‘22, ‘21)
Permanent Team Captain (2024, ‘23)
Best Tools/Pros:
Luke Lachey is one of the better blockers at his position when he is running downhill and gets out in space. He quickly transitions from being a receiving option to becoming a blocker. The most impressive part of his blocking on the move is his instinct. He understands that he doesn’t have to knock defenders on their backs; he just needs to get in the way. With the height of an offensive lineman, he knows he can set a screen rather than engage with the defender when needed. This allows him to move quickly to his next assignment and run in front of the ball carrier. He blocks with violence and isn’t afraid to finish through the whistle.
Lachey brings the hands of a wide receiver to the tight end position. He has the ability to bring in errant throws with a good catch radius and understands how to adjust to a throw outside of his frame. Even when he faces contact while trying to secure the catch, he is able to use his big frame to hold on to the ball through the big hit. In traffic, he shows good concentration and is able to utilize his big frame to prevent defenders from making a play on the ball. Lachey dropped three passes at Iowa. It was incredibly rare to see him not come down with the ball. Drops won’t be a concern for him at the next level.
Luke Lachey had some big plays in @HawkeyeFootball's 24-14 win over Utah State. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xoe9RW0DAt
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 2, 2023
Working from the three-point stance was never a problem for Lachey at the college level. Early in his career, he was consistently able to threaten the seam and the vertical parts of the field with enough acceleration to consistently separate. He doesn’t get phased by contact throughout his route. He’s able to counter-strike, stay on balance, and maintain enough speed to keep separation. When given a free release, he processes the defense fast enough to get into the open part of the field and give the quarterback a big option over the middle.
Tools To Improve/Cons:
Iowa didn’t have Lachey run many complicated routes. He was tasked with running simple outs from the slot or hitches and curls from the in-line position. He is too slow getting in and out of his breaks to run zig routes or any kind of stutter-and-go. There are too many plays, especially this past season, where he has heavy feet as a route runner and never showed much burst at the top of his route to create consistent separation.
Luke Lachey hasn’t looked like an NFL athlete since his ankle surgery. There isn’t much acceleration before, during, or after the catch in his game anymore. He doesn’t have that same straight-line speed as he did in his sophomore season. That means he won’t be much of a threat running down the seam or trying to work his way down the field. He was nothing more than an underneath receiver who found the spots in zone coverage to convert on third down and probably doesn’t have a ceiling or untapped potential much higher than that.
The fundamentals as a blocker, in terms of technique, are there for Lachey. Where he struggles is sustaining blocks and the consistency in doing so. On one rep, he’s able to drive the defender back and maintain contact with them throughout the entire play. On another rep, he initially is able to lock on to his assignment but can’t sustain the block long enough to make an impact on the play. Too often, defensive linemen are able to move freely because he is unable to latch on to them right away. Lachey can sometimes struggle to identify assignments when asked to block in pass protection. He looked lost and uncomfortable at times when asked to block pass rushers one-on-one.
Potential Team Fits:
NFL Projection:
If this was the 2023 NFL Draft, Luke Lachey is likely a top-100 prospect. But heading into this draft, it is tough to see him being anything more than a value pick. Obviously, Iowa did him no favours to improve his stock this season. He was dealing with poor quarterback play and was consistently underthrown, limiting his ability to make bigger plays after the catch. On top of that, in a run-centric scheme, star running back Kaleb Johnson was the focal point of their offense this past season.
At the next level, Lachey will look to follow in the footsteps of his father, Jim, a three-time First Team All-Pro offensive lineman who spent ten seasons in the NFL. Luke plays with the same strength and toughness as his father, but many will label him as a chain mover, not a featured offensive piece. For front offices searching for a starting tight end, they would be betting on the 2022 version of Lachey resurfacing. The most likely role for him at the next level would be as a team’s second or third-string tight end. In that role, he could serve as a chain-moving, three-down option should he improve his blocking skills.
Prospect Grade and Comparison:
Nick Vannett, Ohio State
Early 6th – Early 7th
Film Exposures:
vs Ohio State (2024)
vs Iowa State (2023)
vs Michigan (2022)
Main Image: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images