The Green Bay Packers didn't have many things going their way on Monday night against the New York Giants, but rookie tight end Tucker Kraft was a big silver lining for the offense. After Luke Musgrave was placed on injured reserve, the fellow rookie has been an integral part of the team, giving key contributions in several areas.
"If you look through the course of the season, you can argue he's as improved as anybody," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Tuesday. "He's consistently making plays, he's doing a good job. You see the production in the passing game, but I think the run game has gotten so much better. His contributions on teams have significantly improved. He's gotta keep on that track. It's not a shock to me, the guy shows up every day, he does a great job in practice, he's developing really good habits, and that's when you see improvement."
According to PFF, Tucker Kraft had not had a game with a grade over 70.0 in the first 11 games of the season. In the last two, he received 71.2 and 76.4 grades, including two of the three best receiving grades of his young career.
On Monday, Kraft had four receptions for 64 yards, leading the Packers weapons. And his attitude indicates why he's progressed in different parts of the game.
"I'm comfortable with violence at the line of scrimmage", Kraft told The Draft Network. "I want to punish defenders as a blocker. I see the emotions in their face change once I put them on their heels. I can feel their breath leaving. They exhale as I fall on top of them."
Power duo
The Packers needed a reset to their tight end room, and that's why general manager Brian Gutekunst spent so much draft capital on it. He took Musgrave in the second round, and Kraft in the third.
"I love it," Gutekunst said about doubling up at the position. "I've done it before with one of my first drafts here with Ron (Wolf). I think we did three defensive backs in a row. I think the third one was the best of them all."
It's usually difficult for rookie tight ends to have an impact, but both Packers young guys have shown promise. Musgrave was close to breaking the Packers rookie tight end record in receiving yards, something he can still pull off if he comes back from injury. The second-rounder has to miss at least one more game due to injured reserve rules, but there's a possibility for him to come back later in the season.
Meanwhile, Tucker Kraft has done everything possible to help the offense. The best thing about the duo is that they are completely different players. Even when Musgrave returns, Matt LaFleur will have the option to utilize either one or both at the same time within different responsibilities.
Third-rounder
The third round of the draft had been a nightmare for the Packers, going back to Ted Thompson's tenure. Brian Gutekunst took over in 2018, and his third-round picks were Oren Burks, Jace Sternberger, Josiah Deguara, Amari Rodgers, and Sean Rhyan.
Some of them were talented and seen as good picks at the time of the draft, but the failures have created a bad aura around it — the third-round curse, as some Packers fans would call it.
But it looks like Tucker Kraft has broken it. He's the third tight end Gutekunst has taken in that specific round, and he's already looking much better than Sternberger and Deguara.
Next Sunday, the Packers will still be without Luke Musgrave. Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks might also miss time. With so many issues at the pass catcher positions, the Packers need young guys to step up, and that's exactly what Kraft has done throughout his first season.
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