Paul Bretl | 3/20/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — We know what the big positions of need are for the Packers as we leave free agency behind and turn our focus to the NFL draft, but could adding to the tight end position be one of those under-the-radar needs that we see GM Brian Gutekunst tackle in April?
On the surface, this probably doesn’t come across as a pressing need. Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave each still have two years left on their rookie deals, while Ben Sims is under contract for the 2025 season as well. The team did non-tender restricted free agent John FitzPatrick–who still could be re-signed as a now unrestricted free agent–and that creates a need for depth, but there is a strong foundation at this position already in place.
So where does the need here lie beyond just bringing in a training camp body for the long summer days?
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After we saw the Packers shift to a more run-centric offense with Josh Jacobs in the backfield in 2024, which included more runs from shotgun and more of the gap-blocking scheme instead of outside zone, another potential shift coming in 2025 could include Kraft being featured more heavily in the passing game to provide more stability, and some added big play potential through the air with his yards after the catch (YAC) ability.
As we know, the Packers’ passing game sputtered down the stretch last season. This included dropped passes, wrong routes being ran, and a struggle to generate explosive plays. Banking on the current group of receivers taking that needed step forward comes with risks, given how last season played out. That, of course, is the hope, but it’s an unknown right now as well.
However, the more certain bet at this time is that Kraft continues to ascend. So the Packers should lean into that, especially with Matt LaFleur believing that he has the ability to impact the Green Bay offense at a high level.
“100%,” said LaFleur after the season when asked if Kraft can have a George Kittle or Travis Kelce-like impact in the Packers’ offense, “and I think that’s on us to make sure we find him and feature him because he is, I mean, when he gets the ball in his hands, you feel him. So, if there’s an area that we gotta do a better job on, I would say featuring the tight end.”
Kraft had 70 targets and 55 receptions this season, so it’s not as if he was forgotten about in the passing game. He also led this Packers team in touchdowns this season. With that said, there were also nine games where he had three or fewer targets, and that’s a small role for such an impactful presence.
Despite ranking 17th among all tight ends in targets, Kraft was sixth in receiving yards this season with 733, in large part due to his ability to pick up YAC and generate chunk plays. Kraft’s 13.3 yards per catch was the third-highest mark among tight ends, and he led the position group in average YAC per reception.
“I’m just gonna come back and bring it again in 2025,” Kraft said at his locker after the season. “You guys are gonna see the same thing, same goals I want to set out. I want to be the best blocking tight end in the NFL while also being that guy. I want to be the guy in Year 3. I have goals and aspirations.”
Getting Kraft more involved doesn’t only include more targets. It also includes moving him around the formation, having him attack different levels of the field more often, and having him be a first or second read for Jordan Love more frequently.
But in order to accomplish all of this, there needs to be a more reliable blocking presence at the tight end position behind Kraft on the depth chart. Staying into chip or being a sixth offensive lineman, at times, obviously limits what the tight end can do from a route-running standpoint.
“For a lot of reasons,” said LaFleur when asked why Kraft wasn’t featured more in 2024. “It just depends, going back to who you’re playing. A lot of times, especially in known passing situations, we were trying to help certain spots, and typically, I would say it’s usually the tight ends and the backs who get a bunch of that responsibility. That’s part of the reason.”
The Packers have spoken highly about Musgrave’s ability to help out as a blocker. But where he’s at his best is in the passing game, specifically adding a field-stretching presence at the tight end position. Musgrave also has to show that he can stay healthy.
Sims, meanwhile, has often been tasked with filling that blocking-specific role, however, it’s not as if his spot on the roster isn’t upgradeable either. Although PFF’s grading system is far from the be-all-end-all in terms of evaluation, for what it’s worth, Sims ranked 59th out of 84 tight ends in run-blocking grade.
So this is where the opportunity potentially is for Gutekunst to add to the tight end position. Given the nature of LaFleur’s offense, the Packers are always going to value tight ends with a well-rounded skill set who can impact the game in a variety of ways, but the more traditional in-line blocking tight end is the specific role that Green Bay could look to fill.
This isn’t a need or a role that necessarily has to be addressed with an early-round selection by any means, but a mid to late-round pick on a Y-tight end could bolster competition for Sims and in finding an impact player to fill that blocking role, it can in turn, free up Kraft to do more in the passing game.