Without Tucker Craft, OTAs will be essential for Packers tight ends

The Green Bay Packers will begin OTAs next week without one of their best players.

Tucker Craft, one of the NFL’s best tight ends, is recovering from a torn ACL last year. There is some optimism that he will be on the field in Week 1, but clearly he will not participate in the three weeks of OTAs or the mandatory minicamp held over the next month.

Craft’s pain could mean someone else’s gain, making these four weeks crucial. We will take a look below quarterback, running back, receiver and attacking linethe OTA preview continues with tight end.

Packers Tight Depth Chart: Starters

Tucker force: Kraft is one of the best in the industry. Coming off the big day against Pittsburgh, Craft led all NFL tight ends in receiving yards through seven games and was tied for first in touchdowns. The Packers haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Davante Adams in 2021. Craft was on track for 1,139 yards before suffering a torn ACL against Carolina.

Packers tight end depth chart: Backups

Luke Musgrave: Musgrave is a second-round pick in 2023. Given a new opportunity to restart his career after the injury to Tucker Craft, he caught 24 passes for 252 yards and zero touchdowns in 17 games (10 starts) last season. He only had one game with three or more receptions and 40 yards or more.

Next month could be a pivotal month in his career. How can he finally reach his full potential?

“Get into the habit of practicing,” tight ends coach John Dunn said recently. “It’s just every day. Every day is hard in this sport. You go out and play once a week, but you practice every day, you’re in the meeting room every day, you train every day.”

“You build consistency through daily habits. That’s something we’re always working on. Every player in our room, in every area, they’re trying to build consistency in whatever it is. It might be footwork or hand position. It’s a lot of different areas. So it’s just repeating it every day, inside and out, over and over again.”

Josh While: Whyle was a fifth-round pick by the Titans in 2023. After catching 28 passes for 248 yards in 2024, the Titans released him at the end of camp last year and joined the Packers’ practice squad. Tucker Craft’s knee injury was Hoyle’s ticket to the roster. In eight games, he caught five passes for 36 yards and one touchdown.

“In our position, versatility to be able to do different things is key, and he’s done a really great job with that,” Dunn said. “It’s great for him to really get on the ground and get there in the offseason. I’m excited to have him back here with us.”

Messiah Swinson: Swinson will return for Game 3 against the Packers. He signed with the Packers as an undrafted rookie in 2024, but did not make the roster and opened the season on the practice squad. After briefly joining Carolina’s 53-man roster, he spent the remainder of the season on Green Bay’s practice squad. Swinson competed for a roster spot in training camp last year, but was unable to make the roster and spent the season on the 49ers’ and Cardinals’ practice squads before returning to Green Bay’s practice squad after the season.

Drake Dabney: After Craft’s injury, the Packers signed Dabney to their practice squad. He caught one pass for 3 yards in two games. In four seasons at Baylor and one at TCU, he caught 84 passes for 1,066 yards and eight touchdowns.

RJ Maryland: Maryland was an undrafted rookie who caught 113 passes for 1,495 yards and 19 touchdowns in four seasons at SMU. At 6-foot-3 5/8, 236 pounds and with a 4.51 40-second speed, he’s more of an overgrown receiver than a traditional tight end. His father is Russell MarylandHe was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1991 and started 16 games for the Packers during his final NFL season in 2000.

What we know: Tuckercraft is great.

Through seven games last season, Tucker Craft ranked seventh among tight ends in targets and ninth in catches, but tied for first in yards and touchdowns. Despite missing the final nine games with a torn ACL, he finished tied for eighth in touchdowns with six and yards after the catch with 347.

Last season, 49 tight ends were targeted at least 30 times. According to Pro Football Focus, Kraft finished as follows:

• When he was first targeted, his passer rating was 157.2. (Dalton Kincaid was second at 149.2.)

• First off, 10.8 yards per catch. (Greg Dulcich was second with a score of 7.5.)

• First off, 15.3 yards per catch. (Kinkade was second with 14.6.)

• 2nd with 2.33 yards per route. (Kinkade was first with a 2.79.)

Craft is also an excellent blocker and team leader. In fact, he’s the type of player who is a complete tight end and the face of the franchise.

What we don’t know: Who blocks us?

Tucker Craft can obviously block, but the Packers will have to be smart when he returns to the game. That might mean reducing his workload, at least initially. He is an elite receiving threat, so it might make sense to take some of the load off him in the run game.

John Fitzpatrick held that position last season, but he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 16 and was not re-signed. The Packers have twice tried to fill that niche with undrafted rookie Eni Farai and waiver claimant Luke Lachey, but both failed physicals.

“Learning to block doesn’t come naturally,” tight ends coach John Dunn said of his group. “It’s a developmental deal, and a lot of it’s a matter of mindset, and then a lot of it is a matter of technique. That’s what it’s about at this time of year. It’s about developing that. We train it. We’re going through it, and ultimately we’ve got to play against defenses. We’ve got to go out there with pads on and we’ve got to develop that. It’s certainly an ongoing process.”

Messiah Swinson may be the frontrunner at this point. At 6-foot-7 and 259 pounds, he has the size to play the role and should get plenty of opportunities to prove himself during OTAs and training camp.

Key players in OTA?: Golden Opportunity 3.0

In the 2023 draft, the Packers selected Luke Musgrave in the second round and Tucker Craft in the third round. For most of his rookie season, Musgrave appeared to be the better player. That all changed when Musgrave suffered a kidney injury and missed six games. Craft went from barely playing to playing nearly every snap.

When Craft suffered a torn pectoral muscle in May 2024, Musgrave had an opportunity to resume his role in the offense. he didn’t. When Craft suffered a torn ACL in Week 9 against Carolina, Musgrave had a chance to regain his role. He didn’t.

Craft will be sidelined through offseason practices and possibly the start of training camp. With size and speed, these should be the setup for Musgrave to grow and gain momentum heading into training camp. Will he be able to take advantage of it this time? He hasn’t scored a touchdown since his rookie season, but his next NFL contract depends on it.

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