Have The Packers Finally Found Their Franchise Tight End?

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has maintained that transitioning from college to NFL for a tight end is "the second-most difficult jump to make" , outside of quarterback. In the case of Tucker Kraft, there may be an exception to that claim.

Kraft, who the Packers drafted 78th overall out of South Dakota State in 2023, has rapidly ascended to the top of the depth chart for Green Bay. He is also well on his way to being one of the best overall at his position - and he may already be there.

Before indulging on Kraft's ascent to potential greatness, it is imperative to understand this team's recent history at tight end. The Packers have been mostly moribund at this position for over a decade now, and the timeline can be traced back to 2013.

The Packers Once Had A Strong History Of Unearthing Elite Tight Ends

For the last 12 years, the Packers had been utterly incapable of drafting, trading for, or signing a blue-chip tight end. The position was once a Green Bay staple, from Keith Jackson and Mark Chmura to Donald Lee and Bubba Franks.

When Green Bay drafted Jermichael Finley out of Texas in 2008 in the third round, it seemed that they struck gold yet again. In just his second season in 2009, Finley finished tenth in receiving yards among tight ends and had the sixth-longest reception by any tight end that year.

After missing 11 games in 2010, Finley once again ascended to the upper echelon of his position in 2011. A vital component of Aaron Rodgers's historic first MVP season , Finley accrued eight touchdown catches that year, third-most among tight ends. He finished with nearly 800 yards and averaged just under 14 yards per catch.

Finley Succumbed To Injuries, Unfortunately. He Would Retire After Trying To Prolong His Career.

Finley was rewarded for his 2011 season. Right after Super Bowl XLVI, Finley and the Packers agreed to a two-year deal .

2012 was the last season in which Finley made a significant impact. After a 667-yard campaign that featured a pair of touchdowns, Finley missed 12 games the following year due to a bruised spinal cord that left him temporarily paralyzed.

After the 2013 season, Finley became a free agent. While some teams expressed interest, he ultimately never plated another snap in the NFL, and officially retired in October of 2015 .

After Jermichael Finley Left, The Packers Could Not Find A Franchise Tight End

The Packers cycled through a plethora of tight ends for more than a decade after Finley departed. A few of these tight ends - Tom Crabtree , Richard Rodgers , Jared Cook , and Robert Tonyan (in 2020) - showed flashes of brilliance.

Said flashes, however, were seldom and short-lived and none of the aforementioned players were able to exude sustained, elite play. They absolutely deserved their 15 minutes of fame, however, that is the threshold of their overall impact on this team.

Other tight ends that the team attempted to extract potential from include Jimmy Graham, Martellus Bennett, and Andrew Quarless. The contracts given to Graham and Bennett are two of the worst in franchise history.

The team had an acrimonious parting of ways with Bennett after just seven games, and Jimmy Graham played nowhere near what his $22 million earned dictated.

There are more obscure tight ends who came and went through Green Bay, too. Marcedes Lewis was summoned to the team for his veteran wisdom and blocking talent. Ryan Taylor was essentially there in spirit. The same can be said for Justin Perillo.

For Brandon Bostick, he will unfortunately be remembered for his botched onside kick recovery in the 2014 NFC Championship Game. He was treated inhumanely afterwards .

The list goes on. The Packers have simply been devoid of sustained production and longevity at a position that the team had once mastered at developing and utilizing - until 2023.

Tucker Kraft Was Not Supposed To Be The Top Tight End In Green Bay

Luke Musgrave was drafted 31 picks ahead of Kraft in 2023. Many pundits deemed Musgrave to be the best tight end in his draft class. The 2023 tight end draft class includes Dalton Kincaid, Sam LaPorta, Michael Mayer, and, of course, Kraft.

Prior to the aforementioned 2023 draft, Musgrave was lauded for his size, footwork, and route running. He had also emerged from a football family . His counterpart, Kraft, was praised by many for his yards after catch (YAC) ability, ability to absorb contact, and blocking abilities. But the layout seemed transparent: Musgrave would be at the top of the depth chart, and Kraft would embrace the role of Robin, The Boy Wonder.

The plan was to utilize Musgrave and Kraft in 12 personnel packages . Green Bay wanted to emulate schemes similar to what the Patriots embraced with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Last season, it made perfect sense. The Packers used 12 personnel 31.6% of the time in 2023 .

Kraft Is Now Clearly Tight End Number One In Green Bay

2024, however, has proven to be different. Training camp this past summer was indicative enough of what the blueprint for tight end usage could look like in Green Bay moving forward.

While Tucker Kraft missed all of OTAs, minicamp, and a considerable portion of training camp, he has far more playing time this season than Musgrave. Entering Week Five, Kraft had 227 snaps under his belt, while Musgrave has played only 108 snaps.

On Sunday against the Rams, that trend continued. Kraft played 50 snaps, while Musgrave did not play. It was a breakout game for Kraft Mac and Cheese, to say the least. The former South Dakota State Jackrabbit, as he scored a game-altering 66-yard touchdown .

Among all tight ends this season, Tucker Kraft currently has the following ranks at the time of this writing:

• sixth in receiving yards (218)

• sixth in yards per reception (13.6)

• first in yards after catch (180)

• third in yards after catch per reception (11.3)

• third in catches of 20+ yards (4)

• one of seven tight ends with a catch of 40 or more yards

• a 130.8 passer rating when targeted, fourth-best among qualified tight ends

The Circumstances Make Kraft's Production Even More Notable

Don't forget that Jordan Love did not play in Week Two or Week Three. Kraft's peripheral statistics indicate that he did not achieve anything noteworthy in either of those contests, but the routine box score fails to highlight several key factors.

Kraft is averaging 4.9 yards of separation on targets, which ranks 21st among all receivers. In other words, Kraft is gaining distance and depth from defenders better than most receivers - much less among just tight ends. Kraft is also doing that will playing 55.8% of his snaps inline. That means Kraft is showing quick bursts off the line while simultaneously having to chip and block defenders while coming off a three-point stance.

Is Kraft Finally The Tight End This Team Has Been Craving?

This is a generic and enervated answer, but time will tell. Kraft not only has the yards after catch ability and speed that are often rare at his position, but he is also unrestrained when it comes to blocking. Kraft is lionhearted and shows no aversion to getting his hands dirty and playing old-fashioned, blue-collar football.

Should Kraft maintain his current level of production for the rest of the season, the Packers will be fortunate enough to have his cap not be any higher than $1.7 million through 2026. By then, general manager Brian Gutekunst will have almost certainly given Kraft an extension.

The Green Bay Packers may have finally found their first true franchise tight end in eons, and Kraft has shown that his game has few, if any, weaknesses. Let the former Jackrabbit keep balling.

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