In the past two seasons, Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave have both proved themselves to be worthy options in this young Packers receiving core.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur has shown his favor towards tight ends and his desire to use them. With LaFleur’s play calling and the two tight ends’ talent, this duo could become the best in the league.
Tucker Kraft
Kraft was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. In Kraft’s first season as a Packer, he started only eight games, recording 31 catches on a 77.5% catch rate alongside 355 yards.
With the season-ending injury of fellow tight end Luke Musgrave, Kraft was primed to receive a much larger workload in the 2024 season. Recording 50 receptions for 707 yards and a 71.4% catch rate, Kraft was the Packers’ most consistent pass catcher.
One thing that has separated Kraft from the average tight end has been his yards after catch. Known to be an aggressive competitor, he truly fights when he has the ball in his hand. This was evident to all when he finished with a league-leading average of 9.3 yards after the catch.
Kraft is exactly what any offensive coordinator would want for the tight end position. He has a very high catch rate, can break tackles like no other, and is not afraid to get dirty in the trenches. With the Packers’ young core developing, Kraft will be seen as one of their biggest threats.
Luke Musgrave
Musgrave was taken in the same draft class as Kraft. It was believed by most that Musgrave would be the primary TE, and this held for the first 11 games of the 2023 season.
He had the most offensive snaps among all TEs and was having a quietly good year. Then, he suffered a Grade 2 abdominal strain, which caused him to sit out six of the remaining seven games of the year.
In the 2024 season, there was more of the same. He was listed as active for seven games of the year, but he only recorded seven catches in those games. Yet another season filled with injury, Musgrave did not get to show his true potential.
Plagued with injury and upside in his first two seasons as a professional player, Musgrave has shown his ability to be a great tight end. On the other hand, he has also demonstrated a proneness to injury. If Musgrave can stay healthy, he will be able to get back on track and show why he was once looked at as the future of the Packers’ TE room.
LaFleur’s Playcalling
Matt LaFleur has been the head coach for the Packers for six seasons.
In these years, he has done many different things inside this offense. Throughout these years, LaFleur has had many teams that have fallen short or just dropped the ball. With the drafting and development of these two tight ends, LaFleur is primed to have many ideas to spice up the offense.
During this offseason, LaFleur voiced his pleasure with Tucker Kraft’s development and his excitement to see the two tight ends play together.
Success is sure to follow
With the development of these young teens and LaFleur’s genius playcalling, the league will be put on notice.
Tucker Kraft should continue to bring the aggression and toughness to intimidate opposing defenses, while Luke Musgrave should look to stay healthy and be the trustworthy pass catcher he once was.
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