The Green Bay Packers have been waiting for a return to impact play from the tight end position since the end of Jermichael Finley’s career in 2013, and they may found it in Tucker Kraft, who had his best game as a Packer on Thursday Night Football last week.
As we gear up for the year ahead, let’s examine Kraft’s burgeoning role in one of the league’s most high-powered offenses.
A Standout Sophomore Campaign
Prior to Thursday Night, tight end Tucker Kraft began his breakout with the Green Bay Packers as a second year player in 2024.
Despite his draft billing being lower than fellow tight end Luke Musgrave, who was selected a round before him in 2023, Kraft was the first to truly prove himself, emerging as the de-facto starter when his production and availability out-paced his running mate’s.
In the TE1 role, Kraft quickly became as one of the league’s best, acting as a security blanket for quarterback Jordan Love in a season in which the Packers’ receivers struggled to stay both healthy and consistent.
Even though the South Dakota State product tied for only sixteenth in total targets among tight ends in 2024, as well as ranking outside of the top twenty in targets per game, he made the most of the opportunities he was given.
Kraft had the seventh most receiving yards at the position with 707, and tied for third with seven touchdowns while leading all qualified tight ends in yards after the catch at 9.6.
His yardage total was second best on the team, behind only Jayden Reed with 857, which resulted in the best year for a Packers tight end since Jermichael Finley’s final healthy season in 2012.
Heading into 2025, Kraft looked to replicate his production and cement a serious role in the offense.
Thursday Night Theatrics
This past Thursday against the Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft built on his success in 2024 by producing a career-best game, catching six passes for 124 yards and a touchdown while propelling the team to victory.
Those 124 yards included an eye-popping 74 yards after the catch, a stat which Kraft has become known for, and his redzone score also furthered his team-best efficiency in the area since las season, where he had sixteen targets for seven touchdowns heading into the matchup.
Unlike previous years, however, most of Kraft’s routes on Thursday were run in the intermediate area of the field, an area where quarterback Jordan Love has been the most successful through the first two weeks.
Kraft’s average depth of target of 9.4 yards thus far falls just below the threshold for Love’s hot-zone, and if head coach Matt LaFleur can continue to put Kraft in positions that align with his quarterback’s strengths as a passer, we’ll likely see him become more and more involved in the offense, which many fans have been hoping for.
Kraft’s performance was also complemented by two catches for 32 yards from fellow tight end Luke Musgrave, and their combined stat line was the best to come out of the room since the beginning of LaFleur’s tenure in Green Bay.
Kraft’s Role in the Road Ahead
Even with the Packers’ hot start, there are still questions regarding who will step-up for the team in the long-haul.
First round draftee Matthew Golden has yet to find chemistry with Jordan Love, and while Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks have been reliable so far, both have struggled with consistency in their own regards in the past.
With the injury to Jayden Reed, who will miss at least a third of the season with a broken collarbone, the Green Bay Packers will need to find a player they can lean on as they work out the kinks.
Tucker Kraft is perfect for the role.
Kraft was elected as one of Green Bay’s season-long captains in a vote that hasn’t taken place since 2022, which reflects his teammate’s respect, and his hard-nosed style of play is centered around the grit that this young team will need to compete with some of the NFC’s more experienced teams, especially in a playoff setting.
To keep the Packers’ offense producing at their current pace of twenty seven points per game, which is tied for the league’s sixth best, Tucker Kraft will have to be the juggernaut’s motor.
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