The Green Bay Packers are overhauling their tight end room in 2023. Robert Tonyan has already signed with the Chicago Bears and Marcedes Lewis will not be brought back. There are even rumors that Josiah Deguara could find himself released before the season. In an effort to restock their tight end room, the Packers took Luke Musgrave from Oregon State in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Later, in round three, they took Tucker Kraft, another tight end, from South Dakota State. While Musgrave his more hype, there are many who believe that Kraft will have the better rookie season.
Green Bay Packers Rookie Tight End Tucker Kraft Predicted to Be a Surprising Gem
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report recently published an article predicting five surprising gems from the 2023 NFL Draft class. Kraft was the third player he selected to his exclusive list:
“The Green Bay Packers went into the 2023 draft with the goal of overhauling an underwhelming tight end room. They accomplished this by not only selecting Luke Musgrave in the second round, but also bringing in Tucker Kraft later on Day 2. Although Musgrave may have cost a more valuable draft selection to acquire, Kraft could actually end up becoming Green Bay’s breakout rookie tight end.
“Kraft is the more pro-ready of the two tight ends Green Bay drafted this year. He began dominating South Dakota State’s opponents during a breakout 2021 season, racking up 65 catches for 773 yards and six scores. While an ankle injury limited him out of the gate last year, he still managed to put up 348 yards and three touchdowns on 27 receptions.
“With a versatile set of skills that include both blocking and receiving abilities in equal measure, Kraft should be ready to see the field regularly starting in Week 1. The big 6’5″, 254-pounder will quickly establish himself as new starting quarterback Jordan Love’s safety valve, a role that should result in some impressive numbers as a rookie.”
The Packers offense has not utilized the tight end position much over the past two seasons. However, with Jordan Love under center, there is speculation that Matt LaFleur will be able to run the offense the way that he wants to without Aaron Rodgers’ suggestions and audibles. If this is the case, and if Musgrave and Kraft are both healthy, they both will put up big numbers as rookies.
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