The Green Bay Packers are heading into the 2023 NFL Draft with a plethora of positional needs. One of the biggest of those is the tight end position. Robert Tonyan has signed with the Chicago Bears and Marcedes Lewis remains an unrestricted free agent. Currently, Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis are the only tight ends on the Packers’ roster.
Due to these factors, many believe Green Bay will target a tight end early in the draft, perhaps as early as the first round. However, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report has named two tight end prospects that Packers fans have been excited about as players that the team should avoid drafting.
1. The Green Bay Packers Should Avoid Tight End Luke Musgrave (Oregon State)
When it comes to replacing Robert Tonyan, the Packers will be looking for a receiving tight end. Luke Musgrave has been mentioned in several mock drafts as a potential second round pick by Green Bay to help fill that void. Ballentine, however, does not believe he would be a good option for the Packers:
“The 6’6”, 253-pound receiving weapon is a bit thin for a traditional in-line tight end. However, he does have legitimate speed for the position and is a receiving threat down the seam.
“There are reasons for concerns, though. Musgrave is not physical as a route runner and is just a fine blocker. Perhaps of even more concern is that he only played two games in 2022 because of a knee injury that ended his season.”
In four college seasons, Musgrave only had 47 receptions for 633 yards and two touchdowns. In his first (and only) productive season, 2021, he had 22 receptions for 304 yards and a touchdown. While he has been cleared medically after his knee injury, Green Bay may want to pick a more proven tight end that they know can make an immediate impact instead of rolling the dice with Musgrave.
2. The Green Bay Packers Should Avoid Tight End Dalton Kincaid (Utah)
I have written previously about why Dalton Kincaid is not a good fit for the Green Bay Packers. Ballentine agrees for the same reasons:
“It isn’t that Kincaid isn’t a good player. He is. Much like Musgrave, he’s going to make for a good receiving option on some team’s passing attack.
“But he’s not a good fit on the Green Bay roster. Kincaid is going to be a move tight end who doesn’t have the bulk or blocking prowess to line up as a traditional in-line tight end or be an asset in the run game.
“At 6’4″, 246 pounds, Kincaid just doesn’t make sense like Michael Mayer or Darnell Washington would. Mayer is the best tight end in the loaded class with the ability to block and be a receiving weapon, while Washington is essentially a third tackle on the field.”
As Ballentine and I have stated, Kincaid is simply not a good enough blocker for the Packers’ offense. While he is a great receiver, his limitations in pass and run blocking would cancel out whatever positives he would bring to the receiving game. As Ballentine notes, this is a deep tight end class. Green Bay would be wise to be picky about the tight end(s) they draft.
Ballentine mentions Mayer as a potential target for the Packers in the first round. Personally, I don’t see the Packers taking a tight end in the first. Rather, I think they will take a player like Sam LaPorta on Day Two. Old Dominican tight end Zack Kuntz would also be a great option on Day Three.
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