Paul Bretl | 9/9/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — One of the more interesting developments to come out of the Packers’ Week 1 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles came at the tight end position, where Tucker Kraft not only out-snapped Luke Musgrave, but it wasn’t even close.
Of the Packers’ 67 total offensive plays on Friday, Kraft was on the field for 64 of them–or 96 percent. Musgrave, meanwhile, played just 17 snaps on offense–or 25 percent of the plays.
Watching how the reps were divided among Musgrave and Kraft during the team’s training camp practices, you wouldn’t have known this was coming. However, in regards to their performances, well, that was more telling.
It didn’t take Kraft long to reacclimate himself back to the offense after returning to team drills following a pectoral injury that sidelined him during offseason programs and the first part of training camp. During the final week of training camp, which included a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens, Kraft had several receptions and routinely showcased that yards after the catch ability he possesses.
Musgrave, on the other hand, had what would be categorized as a quiet training camp. His opportunities in the passing game were sporadic, we rarely saw that field stretching ability on display, and he didn’t have a practice like Kraft did that final week where he was one of the standout performers.
Tight ends coach John Dunn was asked about Musgrave’s slower start to training camp but chalked it up to being in the install phase rather than the game-planning phase, where more opportunities can be manufactured.
“Well, you know, camp is a little different then game planning and stuff,” said Dunn. “And so you’re going through your installs and you’re doing things and production from a tight end is–the easy part is did he catch a ball, right? And it’s a three phase deal for tight ends in terms of run game, protection, obviously the pass game and there’s subtle things that we get better at that might not show up because, you know, it could even be running a route better but the coverage didn’t dictate the ball going there.
“I don’t think that’s a product of anything other than, you know, it’s camp and those opportunities will come. These guys are working their tales off. So whether it’s didn’t have as many or anything, like there’s no–there’s nothing to it.”
As Dunn mentions, there is more to playing the tight end position than just the plays made in the passing game. He refers to it as a three-phase position, with pass-catching, run-blocking, and pass protection the three elements where a tight end can make an impact.
Although Kraft made a greater impact in the passing game during those final training camp practices, ultimately, the snap count difference in Week 1 likely came down to him being the more well-rounded player at the position. Musgrave can bring a field-stretching ability to the tight end position, while Kraft has shined with the ball in his hands. However, when it comes to blocking, Kraft has a distinct advantage.
“I think he’s a complete tight end and I think he’s only scratching the surface of what he’s capable of doing,” said Matt LaFleur during camp. “I think when you look back last year, I mean it’s night and day from where he is now from where he was at this time. Just the familiarity with the offense, the confidence I would say from going out there and playing at a high level, so we’re excited to get him back in the fold.”
Kraft’s role during his rookie year began relatively small, as he was often used as a blocker, averaging just over 12 snaps per game through five weeks. However, as Kraft got more acclimated, his role began to expand before he was regularly playing 80-plus percent of the offensive snaps following Luke Musgrave’s kidney injury in Week 11, and tasked with impacting the passing game as well.
From Week 12 on, Kraft caught 28 of his 36 targets for 327 yards and two touchdowns. During that span, Kraft ranked 10th among tight ends in targets, eighth in yards and was sixth in YAC.
“Well, I just, really I just took what opportunity I had and I ran with it,” said Kraft about his rookie season. “There was a point in the season last year where I had to look myself in the mirror and say if I’m only going to get opportunities to run block and pass pro then I’m going to be the best on our team in run block and pass pro.
“So those opportunities carried through three weeks and my career changed with a flat route. I didn’t have to have a coach try to get me open, I got myself open. Caught a ball in the flat, turned up and I stepped out of bounds, but it was a play that was able to highlight my athleticism and the potential that I could–the impact that I could make in this offense.”
Having a tight end who is capable as both a run blocker and a pass catcher can do wonders for an offense, specifically for Matt LaFleur has the play-caller, as having that element helps open up the playbook for him from a creativity standpoint.
A tight end with these capabilities adds a layer of unpredictability to the offense. Pre-snap, defenses can’t decipher as easily whether a run or pass is coming simply based on where the tight ends are lined up. Opponents are then forced to respect both the run and the pass on any given play, thus having to defend the entire field, which creates better spacing, and opportunities for not only the tight end but the other skill position players within the offense.
“I set a precedent for myself,” Kraft said during training camp, “a large goal of mine this year, I want to be the best tight end in the outside zone. That’s a huge ask, especially in our offense, and I want people to feel confident putting me out there to pass protect, putting me out there to run block, putting me out there to run routes.
“So I want to get back to playing with an edge again and I think that the next two weeks will allow me to do that. I’m going to just come out every snap and if I don’t feel like I can put my best competitive effort forward then I’m going to let the staff know and we’ll be on the same page. But as far as I’m concerned I feel great. We’re in this ramp up period right and just very excited to get back on the field completely.”
Against the Eagles, Kraft hauled in both of his targets in the passing game for 37 yards with 30 of those yards coming after the catch. And with 31 of his 64 snaps coming as a blocker, in both the run and passing games, he graded out quite well by PFF’s metrics.
Now, the thing to be mindful of is that each week, the discrepancy between Kraft and Musgrave in the snap count category may not be this massive. What the game plan calls for based on the opponent is going to determine how many opportunities each player gets. But with that said, given Kraft’s ability to impact the game in a variety of ways, while we may never know who the Packers’ top option at receiver is, we have that answer at tight end.