The Packers, as a franchise, have struggled at tight end for a couple decades.
They’ve lacked consistency and stability at the position since Mark Chmura.
Jermichael Finley looked ready to break out, but got hurt. Jared Cook had a nice season on a prove it deal, but after proving it, he wasn’t re-signed. Jimmy Graham was a terrible pickup and Jace Sternberger was a wasted draft pick. Guys like Andrew Quarless and Richard Rodgers were serviceable, but short-lived.
Now, the Packers have loaded up the tight end room for an offense that loves multiple tight ends… but can any of them make a difference?
Robert Tonyan probably shows the most promise after leading all NFL tight ends in touchdowns not so long ago, but he has a torn ACL and is stuck in rehab. There are rumors that he could be ready for Week 1, but I’m not holding my breath. He tore his ACL 8 months ago. For reference, David Bakhtiari isn’t practicing after tearing his ACL almost 19 months ago. He may be an outlier, but the Packers are notoriously cautious in allowing players to return from major injuries. ACL tears don’t ruin as many careers as they did in the 80’s, but they’re still tough to come back from and the first year back usually isn’t the best. Many players report their 2nd year back is the first time they feel normal. Tonyan might be back this season, but he probably won’t be back to his old self.
Marcedes Lewis has been a dependable vet, but he’s 38 and his body can’t hold out forever. He’s the last remaining player from the 2006 draft class. Think about that. Kids born that year have their driver’s licenses. Even the kickers and punters from that year have seen their bodies wear out or their effectiveness wane to the point they’re out of the league. Sure, he keeps in shape, but at a physical position, his body could give out at any time.
Josiah Deguara is two years removed his ACL injury, but what do we know about him? He had a nice score on a broken play in garbage time in a meaningless Week 18 game last year, but other than that… we’ve barely seen glimpses.
Dominique Dafney is a nice story, but he hasn’t done anything to suggest he’s even low-end starter material.
Tyler Davis has been an offseason darling, but he has 4 career catches and is basically a complete unknown.
Alize Mack was a guy I really liked coming out of college, but he’s on his 5th team after being drafted 3 years ago.
Eli Wolf has a cool last name, but he’s played in as many pro games as I have.
There you have it. The Packers have 7 tight ends on their roster, but there isn’t a single one that you can point to and say with confidence will be a producer in 2022.
A lot will have to get sorted out in training camp, but at this point there isn’t much evidence to suggest there’s a breakout player on the roster.
Matt LaFleur loves multiple tight end sets and, with a lot of unknowns in the receiving corps, the tight end group will be asked to carry a larger part of the load.
Will they be able to rise to the occasion?
Bruce Irons has played, coached, and studied football for decades. Best-selling author of books such as A Fan’s Guide To Understanding The NFL Draft, A Fan’s Guide To Understanding The NFL Salary Cap, and A Fan’s Guide To NFL Free Agency Hits And Misses, Bruce contributes to CheeseHeadTV and PackersForTheWin.com.
Follow Bruce Irons on Twitter at @BruceIronsNFL.