The Green Bay Packers made a strategic move in the 2023 NFL draft, selecting South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft with the 78th overall pick. This move was made to provide quarterback Jordan Love with more offensive weapons and to bolster the team’s tight end position.
Kraft, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 254 pounds, has an impressive college career under his belt. With 99 catches for 1,211 yards and nine touchdowns in 32 games, he is a strong addition to the Packers’ roster. Despite suffering an ankle injury in 2022, Kraft still managed to make a significant impact on the field, demonstrating his resilience and determination.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Kraft recorded a 4.69 time in the 40-yard dash with a 1.59 10-yard split, while his pro day results showed a 4.62 time in the 40-yard dash and a 36½-inch vertical. These numbers indicate Kraft’s athleticism and potential as a dynamic player for the Packers.
TE Tucker Kraft Key Stats
| Stat | |
|---|---|
| RAS | 9.68 |
| Packer Report Big Board ranking | 74 |
| The Athletic ranking | 71 |
| Pro Football Focus ranking | 74 |
| Height & Weight | 6’4″, 254 lbs |
| Collegiate stats | 99 receptions, 1,211 yards, 9 TDs (32 games) |
| NFL Scouting Combine 40-yard dash & 10-yard split | 4.69 sec & 1.59 sec |
| Pro Day 40-yard dash & Vertical | 4.62 sec & 36½ inches |
Pairing Kraft with Luke Musgrave, another tight end addition, gives the Packers a promising outlook for their previously lackluster tight end room. The combination of these two high-upside players will offer more versatility and options for the Packers’ offense, making them a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming season.
Go pack go
— Tucker Kraft (@TuckerKraft) April 29, 2023
Wisconsin is going to love Tucker Kraft.
After he mistakenly said “Yes sir” before correcting it to “Yes ma’am,” he said: “I had a couple of drinks waiting for my name to be called.”
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) April 29, 2023
8️⃣5️⃣ @TuckerKraft #PackersDraft | @meijer pic.twitter.com/6oW4Vwo95R
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 29, 2023
Matt LaFleur has always wanted to utilize the TE position in his offense while Rodgers always viewed throwing to TE’s as beneath him. Therefore the position was always marginalized come draft day. Jordan Love changes the dynamic, as do Musgrave and Kraft. It’ll be interesting to see how these two talented TE’s plays out.
“Matt LaFleur has always wanted to utilize the TE position in his offense while Rodgers always viewed throwing to TE’s as beneath him.”
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Yeah, I remember when Rodgers handcuffed LaFluers offense by reluctantly throwing 11 touchdowns to Robert Tonyan. Or was it the next year that Rodgers decided to stop throwing Bobby the ball when Tonyan was out for half the year due to injury?
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The only thing holding Mercedes Lewis back was Rodgers as well. It had nothing to do with his speed, age, or the fact that he was mostly used for blocking and moral support in the locker room. It’s also too bad Rodgers had to ruin those top notch TE’s that Gute picked up in the draft. Good thing Sternberger got away from that diva QB. Jace is now on his 5th team in two years. The Birmingham Stallions of the USFL, where he’s gonna light it up! Take that rOdGeRs! Speaking of lighting it up, how great is Deguara gonna be this year now that he finally has a franchise QB to throw him the ball?
PF4L 2 days ago
Here’s the good news Scooter, with all the new cash Rodgers is making, you can charge him rent….
For living in your head for years. Maybe he can pay your room rent for the next year. I’m sure he can cut you a check for $2,400 to cover it.
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Seriously Scooter, Rodgers is now officially gone.
But why do i have the feeling you’ll be whining and obsessing about him non stop like you’ve done for years.
Is your life that empty, that Rodgers dominates your every thought?
Do you stay up at night thinking about Rodgers?
I mean…How many post have you made this year without mentioning Rodgers ad nauseam…maybe once?
I think I read where Tucker Kraft was a 27 on the Wonderlic. So that’s like getting three players from Georgia.
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It’s a value pick.
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I just hope that after all these years that Tucker Kraft can be one we say finally breaks the round 3 curse. Here’s hoping.
Yeah, for someone who couldn’t play, Rodgers insisted Marcedes Lewis be on the team the last two years. Randal Cobb couldn’t play either, same thing. And let’s not forget “Touchdown Jesus”, Jake Kumerow, only he never caught TD’s. He didn’t catch passes either and Gutekunst had the nerve to cut him! According to Rodgers that started the rift with management. Another one of Rodgers buddies let go. Rodgers treated the roster like it was his own personal country club. We’re paying for it now. You’re going to see more two TE sets Cheese. More passes to TE’s. No more buddy ball, throwing everything to Adams or Lazard. And that can only be a good thing.
So you’re saying Rodgers ran that team because management doesn’t have a backbone to run their own franchise?
I agree.
Atta boy, be mad at Rodgers, not the Packers for not having a clue.
Now…lets move on to the success story of Gute/Murphy and bringing in the Jordan Love (GIFT) era.
Gute is a smart guy, i’m almost sure he’s going to bring in a veteran receiver or tight end to help the cause.
Is Sammy available, how about Jimmy G.
Now either/both of those would be put the Packers offense…over the top.
Right…..Gute?
The Super Bowl odds tells us what people think of this team.
Enjoy…i’m going to 😏
If everything comes together this season, i could see a 7 or 8 win team.
BROKEN
I think were finding out how much the Packers feel about Love and his future with the green Bay Packers.
Not quite the franchise QB as Tommi tells else, just goes to show that even someone as smart as Tommi…can be wrong, everyday.
*
“Yeah, I’ve got to figure that out by Tuesday, I guess,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said on the subject of Love’s option. “We’re kind of still working through that. We’ve been so focused on the draft. We’ve had some preliminary conversations, but we’ll get to that before Tuesday. It’s a lot of money for a guy who hasn’t played. But at the same time, obviously, we’re moving forward with him. So, we’ll figure that out by Tuesday” (h/t Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk).
You concede roster spots on the expectation you’re star QB, who I’m told is the best to ever play the game, wins championships. Joe Douglas and Woody Johnson are now falling into the same trap that Brian Gutekunst and Mark Murphy did. Expect the same results. It’s great if it works. We all know it won’t. Rodgers will fail to hold up his part of the bargain. Not to worry, you’ll blame Joe Douglas just like you blamed Brian Gutekunst. New York fans however, will not be so forgiving.
Jordan Love just signed a two year contract extension that gives Love a huge raise this year from his salary of 2.3 million and cap relief from the 20 million for next season. It a win/win for both the player and the organization. You never negotiate a contract in a public forum such as a news conference. You praise the player and give vague answers to specifics due to ongoing negotiations. This exactly what Gutekunst was doing. He said nice things about Love but didn’t give his agent any ammunition to leverage more money. As usual Kevin, you miss read the room, again.
At first I was upset with this extension, but it makes sense. Basically, in exchange for paying Love an average QB salary, they are better able to keep him if he’s good next year. If he averages better than say an 85 QB rating, there would likely be teams sniffing around to steal him from the Packers, forcing the Packers to franchise tag him and costing the Packers what they pay Rodgers now.
Gee, 85 QB or better and teams will start sniffing around to steal him?
Dam..Rodgers has a passer rating in the 90’s and you folks are writing his eulogy.
Yea, you remember.
No one gives two shits about Rodgers or Love’s passer rating. Rodgers got traded because he couldn’t win a championship. While Love’s new contract gives cap relief in next year’s financially strapped season. We’ll know 8 or 9 games in if he’s the answer at QB. If he’s the answer, that last year will be voided for a new deal. And if he’s not, he’s getting the bulk of his remaining money now rather than next year. It’s refreshing to have a QB actually interested in a team friendly deal instead of trying to squeeze every last dollar out of the organization. Jordan Love is taking a page out of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts playbook when it comes to money. That’s encouraging.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N1x0oz76vE
So either 20 million fully guaranteed for the option, or extend him a year for 13.5 guaranteed.
This way if he stinks up the joint in 2023, they can tell him to kick rocks and save6.5 million.
I think we see where the Packers are at concerning Love.
I’m sure it’s happened i guess. But i never heard of team not giving the player the 5th year option, but instead, extending him for less money instead.
But what do i know, i can’t read the room 😉
Tom M
“Jordan Love is taking a page out of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts playbook when it comes to money. That’s encouraging.”
Wow Killer…lol
Way to read the room….spot on again!!
Ummmm…how about, just thinking out loud…how about Jordan Love wins his first NFL game before lumping him in the same sentence as Allen, Homey, and Hurts.
When i see his first NFL victory, maybe then….i might be “encouraged”.
Hey!! I know Princess!!
When Love wins his first game, should we call him a franchise QB!?!?
Bwahahahahahaha!! 😆
Never stop entertaining “the room” Tommi!! 😉
Tom M 3 hours ago
No one gives two shits about Rodgers or Love’s passer rating.
Except of course for the countless tens of thousands of football people and fans who have talked about it during Rodgers 15 years of starting in the NFL.
Tommi, if NO ONE cares, why do people bring it up?
They must not be real men?
Take your time on that one Sparky, i’ll expect a response just like all the rest of your moronic statements when you make yourself look stupid.
Passer ratings mean nothing. They just don’t, Kevin. Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Tom Brady, the last four SB winners. Tell me their passer rating without looking it up. You can’t. But everyone knows they’ve SB champions. There are two things in sports that gets way overplayed. Money and stats. Stats are the consolation prize if you can’t win championships. Stats are also the first to be forgotten. Money is another issue that gets way overplayed. You and Cheese crying Rodgers couldn’t be traded because of his contract. That was never a factor. Rodgers hasn’t even thrown a pass in a game and Jets tickets sales are up 400%! Season ticket sales are up 250%! And there’s no data yet on how many number 8 jerseys they’ve sold. Why is that Kevin? Because of the promise of a QB with a high passer rating? Shit no! The expectation is a championship. Good luck with that New York. Hope you’re all like Kevin and content with stats cuz that’s all you’re getting with Rodgers. Woody Johnson is well on his way to making money on that trade.
As for Love’s contract extension, no one will remember or care. The question that has to be answered is, can he play or not? If he can, then the money takes care of itself. And if he can’t, then we’ll be in the Caleb Williams sweepstakes next draft. Jordan Love is undoubtedly talented. But more importantly he shows growth and development. If he can put it all together with a group of young, talented, hungry, WR’s and TE’s, along with a veteran running game and a healthy OL, then I’m cautiously optimistic. But you cling to your passer rating if that gives you comfort.
“You and Cheese crying Rodgers couldn’t be traded because of his contract”
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I never said he couldn’t be traded you fucking moron. I said he wasn’t going to sit the bench in Green Bay and make $60,000,000 to be a back up. There’s quite a difference there. Gutekunst said that the $20 million for Love’s 5th year option was a lot of money for a guy that has never played, yet you and the rest of the tools on the internet were certain that Gute was gonna blow 60 million dollars to have a chest puffing contest with Rodgers. What happened to that hypothesis Nostradomus? Let me guess, Gute is a mastermind negotiator who saved the franchise by exiling evil widdle Erin?
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“If he (Love) can put it all together with a group of young, talented, hungry, WR’s and TE’s, along with a veteran running game and a healthy OL, then I’m cautiously optimistic.”
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Cautiously optimistic? You’ve been telling everyone how Love is a franchise QB that has been breathing down Rodgers’ neck for years. You claimed that if Rodgers came back to GB he would sit the bench because Love was going to beat the league MVP in a QB battle. But now you’re backing off and claiming you’re “cautiously optimistic?” Like I’ve said before, either way everyone here is screwed because if Love doesn’t turn out to be a decent QB then the Packers have a bad QB, or on the flip side we all have to listen to you talk out of your ass pretending like you knew Love was destined to be amazing. Yipee!
And what would have been the alternative Cheese? Another year of Rodgers bullshit? Having to listen to Kevin talk about magical “passer ratings?” Because according to him, everyone can’t stop talking about “passer ratings!” When is the last time you ever heard a coach or a GM mention “passer ratings?” I’ll help, never! But there so very important! Just ask Kevin.
Actually what I’ve said Cheese, is we’ve gone as far as we can with Rodgers. I’m sick and tired of the excuses. It’s time to give Jordan Love his shot. Rodgers was never coming back to any team where he wasn’t the center of attention. That was never going to be with the Packers. Those days were gone. Aaron Rodgers was no MVP last year and acted like he didn’t want to be there anyway. It was a divorce that needed to happen. Rodgers is on his best behavior for now and everybody loves everybody in New York. But it’s a fragile relationship. Let’s see if it can weather the storm…
Tommi…Apparently you think you’re an expert on “reading the room.
Just curious, can you tell us what this room has been saying about you for years?
Tom M 7 hours ago
Passer ratings mean nothing.
Tommi, listen close….
I replied to you, when you stated that no one gives a shit about Rodgers passer rating. so i responded.
Then your rebuttal is, that passer ratings are meaningless?
Now Tommi, what’s wrong with that picture?
This isn’t complicated is it Princess.
So do people give a shit about Rodgers passer rating, or not?
The question wasn’t whether there was any credibility in passer ratings.
It was ….(sit down now) if people gave a shit. Which they clearly do.
Tommi, listen…i’m just gonna come right out and ask you.
What’s wrong with you?…seriously.
Is there anything i can do, can i assist you in getting help?
To no one’s surprise, the Jets signed Randall Cobb today. Will Marcedes Lewis be next? For all you ladies constantly bitching that Gutekunst never gave Rodgers “ weapons” in the passing game and therefore that was the cause for Rodgers piss poor playoff performance and lackluster “passer rating” in January. He sure wants his same guys in New York with him. Why do we think this will work? It won’t. And it has nothing to do with his receivers and everything to do with the QB himself. The whole “Rodgers needs more help” is just another myth perpetrated by you fanboys.
Patrick Queen’s 5th year option was declined by the Ravens. Who’s Patrick Queen? A very average ILB that was the top defensive player on the board in the 2020 draft when we were on the clock with the 26th pick in the first round. There were two schools of thought. Take Queen or take an WR, either Chase Claypool, Denzel Mims, or Tee Higgins. Not a pro bowl player in the bunch. Instead, Gutekunst made the bold move and took Jordan Love. He understood the risk/reward associated with the pick. He knew taking a chance on Love’s potential was worth passing on a handful of average players. He was right…
Here’s the thing, any one of those players you mentioned would have been more beneficial for the team at the time than drafting Jordan Love and letting him sit on the bench for three years. According to the front office the Packers were all in on trying to win a Super Bowl now. How does it make any sense at all to draft a project QB when one of the big needs for the team is more WR talent to get them over the hump. If I’m trying to win a Super Bowl right now how can you justify drafting a project QB who won’t contribute anything to the team until four years down the road.
I see Arch, Chase Claypool help his team so much he’s now on his second team in three years and made little difference for Chicago last year. While Patrick Queen was so valuable and such an integral part of the defense, the Ravens declined his 5th year option. These types of players can easily be replaced. This why you’re not an NFL GM. You’d pick an average, easily replaceable NFL players over the potential for a franchise QB. You can find players just like Claypool and Queen in every draft. Teams spend decades looking for franchise QB’s. You take them when you can get them. You best stick with Kevin and marvel over passer ratings. Let the big boys run the franchise.
All Chase Claypool had to do was start two games for the Packers and he’d have done more than Jordan Love has done in three years. I haven’t seen a thing from Jordan Love that tells me he is going to be a franchise QB. I hope for the Packers sake and the fans sake he is. Hell, the Penn State QB the Packers drafted has a chance at being a franchise QB just like Jordan Love at this point. Let’s all hope Jordan Love becomes the Packers next HOF QB. If not, welcome to Chicago Bears territory.
Arch is absolutely correct.
Keep in mind, if you picked players at rounds1 and at 4, you have two players who give you contribution for 3 seasons when the team was one game away from the Super Bowl, vs. some QB giving you mop up duty, a game he started and lost.
Princess Tommi’s rebuttal might be something intelligent like Gute ignored the receiver room only because Adams left, or something equally stupid.
All Adams leaving did was expose the failure of Gute to do his basic job.
He has a HOF QB with an arm of gold, and what does Gute do?
He lets the WR and TE talent deplete to next to nothing.
YEA…that’s a good formula to field a winning team, right Princess?
Getting back to the draft picks that didn’t contribute because of the Love trade up.
Goober might tell us your not going to find anyone good in the 4th round, right Tommi?
But in the 4th round, didn’t the Packers draft Bakhtiari, JC Tretter, Blake Martinez, Mike Daniels, TJ Lang, Josh Sitton, Brady Poppinga, Edgar Bennett, Chuck “The Hit Man” Cecil.
Of course, Gute never picked anyone of that quality in the 4th, but lets cut him some slack.
He’s still trying to find a player who can contribute out of the 3rd round.
The truth is Gute has been swinging and missing bad since 2018 in the receiver room.
And no, Doubs and Watson are not “proven” yet. But lets say they are very good productive receivers.
I say, it’s about G D time right?
You’re right again Tommi, Rodgers didn’t need more help with the Packers, it was just a myth.
You just keep nailin it don’t you Princess? 🥱
The fact they drafted 6 receivers and two tight ends in the last 13 months… says nothing.
Maybe…they were drafted because they happened to be the best BPA at the time they picked those 8 pass catchers in the Gute/Murphy of draft and develop
A ‘coincidence’ perhaps? 😏
I guess Gute doesn’t believe in the idiotic thoughts of anyone who said “we don’t need receivers”
What say you Princess?
Sounds about right.
Very interesting that the jets did not draft any receiver and are replacing some of there guys with old packers. It’s almost like Rodgers doesn’t like/trust young/ true players. No wonder gute waited till Rodgers was going/ gone to go get pass catchers in the draft.