Packers safety says rookie TE reminds him of Travis Kelce
The Green Bay Packers presumably had high expectations for rookie tight end Luke Musgrave when they took him with the first of their second-round picks in the 2023 draft.
But if he turns out to be half the player teammate Dallin Leavitt thinks he can be, the three teams that took a tight end before Musgrave came off the board at No. 42 overall will likely regret not snatching up the former Oregon State standout.
“In regards to speed and feeling that on the over route, yeah, I think [Musgrave’s] got that,” Leavitt said, via ESPN. “But honestly, I would say he’s closer to (Travis) Kelce than he is Darren (Waller) — body type and all that.”
While Leavitt’s remarks might seem a bit bold, he may know what he’s talking about, as he had a front-row seat to what Kelce could do twice a year from 2018-21, when he played for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Though Kelce was more productive as a college player transitioning to the NFL (he had 242 more yards and eight more touchdowns coming out of Cincinnati in 2012 than Musgrave did coming out of Oregon State), there may be more similarities between the two tight ends than what meets the eye.
Aside from their similar builds — Kelce is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Musgrave is 6-foot-6 and 254 pounds — Musgrave’s effectiveness in the red zone, as well as his ability to run seam routes to near-perfection is comparable to Kelce’s.
“He’s a special talent,” Leavitt added. “He’s got more wiggle than people give him credit for and obviously everybody talks about his speed, but I think he does a good job making contested catches as well.”
It’s safe to assume the Packers are hopeful Musgrave has even a fraction of the success Kelce has had. His resume includes eight Pro Bowls, seven All-Pro selections and two Super Bowl championships.
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