The Green Bay Packers need a tight end
The Green Bay Packers need to sign a tight end or two in 2023. The Packers had a solid unit of Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis. Lewis is likely headed to retirement but could stay if Aaron Rodgers is in Green Bay next season. Tonyan is set to be a free agent but could stay with the Packers if Rodgers returns. One NFL insider thinks the Packers should sign a veteran tight end this offseason.
Aaron Schatz with ESPN recently wrote about one player each NFL team “must sign” this offseason. Schatz thinks the Packers would do well to add a pass catcher for next season. He named Dallas Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz as a great option for the Packers in free agency:
“Veterans Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Robert Tonyan are all free agents. Why don’t we complement the young Packers wideouts with a quality, dependable veteran at tight end? Schultz’s advanced stats weren’t great in 2022, primarily because of a low 64% catch rate and fewer yards after catch than he had in previous seasons. But it was just two years ago that Schultz ranked fourth in receiving DYAR among all tight ends, catching 78 passes for 808 yards and eight touchdowns with a 75% catch rate.”
The Packers should look to the draft for a tight end
The Green Bay Packers would have a better offense with Schultz on it. However, Schultz might not make the most financial or long-term sense for the Packers. There’s a reason why the Cowboys didn’t extend him after using the franchise tag on Schultz for the 2022 season. He’s not cheap. And the Packers don’t have the cap space to splurge on Schultz. The Packers have too many other positions of need this offseason.
The Green Bay Packers would be better served by drafting a tight end from this class. There are several elite tight ends the Packers could take in the early rounds. The Packers appear set with a couple of solid wide receivers in Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. Taking Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer in the first round would make a big difference in the passing game, as he’s an elite pass-catching tight end.
The Packers could also wade into the second round for Georgia tight end Darnell Washington. Washington would be perfect to replace Lewis, as Washington is known for being a big-bodied blocker more than a pass catcher. The Packers would then have a solid tight contributor for several seasons on a rookie deal. That will help the team in future years when Rodgers’ inevitable replacement starts in Green Bay.
