The Green Bay Packers’ youth movement on offense has arrived.
After an offseason that saw exits from wide receivers Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard and tight ends Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan, the Packers left the door for criticism open when they chose to refill the unit almost entirely using the draft. But now some of those draft picks are coming to fruition, like wide receiver Jayden Reed and tight end Luke Musgrave. Another pass-catcher from the class, tight end Tucker Kraft, has a golden opportunity to step up and into the spotlight in the next few weeks.
A rookie second-round pick out of Oregon State, Musgrave was hitting a groove before lacerating his kidney against the Los Angeles Chargers in a Week 11 win. After the Packers placed Musgrave on injured reserve, the rookie from South Dakota State stands as the top dog at tight end.
Kraft had only two targets on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions. However, he caught both passes, one for a touchdown.
The Packers haven’t utilized Kraft much early in the year. Musgrave has firmly held the top spot, even though Kraft is a third-round pick. The reason for optimism swirling around Kraft’s prospects is because of what else exists on the offense.
There is no Davante Adams or Jordy Nelson on this offense. No pass catcher is the go-to guy who warrants double-digit targets every week. Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Christian Watson had great games against the Lions. However, the consistency has wavered.
That’s not a surprise for a group of rookie and second-year players. First-year starter Jordan Love‘s weapons in the passing game are also going through growing pains and riding the roller coaster as they all try to hammer home some comfortability.
Enter Kraft.
In past years, rookies in Green Bay would have a minimal role because there was always an Adams, Nelson, or Greg Jennings around for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The proven veteran talent outweighed the opportunities for the young, flashy draft pick.
But that isn’t the case this year.
With Musgrave on the shelf, Kraft can show his worth. He can also cement a more consistent role if he can get the ball out against the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay’s future opponents.
The Packers didn’t take Kraft as an afterthought in the draft. They took Musgrave in Round 2 and Kraft in Round 3 under the premise that they may have just selected their future duo at tight end. Musgrave has already shown some brilliance; now Kraft can do the same.
Matt LaFleur has taken notice.
“He’s gotten better in every phase of the game,” LaFleur told reporters on Thursday following practice. “He’s more confident in what he’s doing and just playing faster. You could see it really because most of the reps he was getting was when he was run-blocking. You could see his improvement in the running game. … Obviously, with what happened with Luke, that provides more opportunity, and he’s taking advantage of it.”
Green Bay has long valued its tight ends who can pave the way for the ground game. Beyond his leadership, Lewis held value for so long because of his ability to block. Lewis served in what seemed to be a role where he was occasionally an extra lineman more than he was a tight end.
That isn’t the plan or the aspirations Green Bay has for Kraft or vice versa. Still, the ability to shine while run-blocking will always warrant more opportunities in Green Bay.
LaFleur’s offense is still a work in progress. He’s far from a finished product. Head-scratching penalties at inopportune times and the inability to consistently get the ground game going still plague the Packers. These issues may not be solved by season’s end. However, the last three weeks have looked far better than the previous seven, and there are noticeable signs of growth.
Kraft’s opportunity comes at an advantageous time. Green Bay’s offense is hitting its stride and is always looking for someone to step up.
Nobody expects Kraft to go out and post better numbers than Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on Sunday. Nobody expects Kraft to emerge as the top option for Love while Musgrave is out. Instead, this is a chance for the third-round pick to show that Green Bay knows how to draft skill-position players in that round. Amari Rodgers (2021), Josiah Deguara (2020), and Jace Sternberger (2019) were all busts. Kraft can earn a more structured role even when Musgrave returns.
As LaFleur has stated, Kraft is improving, and the offense is also on a positive trajectory. Sunday night presented another primetime slot for Kraft to step up and the Packers to show that a postseason berth is within the realm of possibility.
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