2023 3rd Round Pick #78 TE Tucker Kraft

TE
Tucker Kraft

6'5"
254 lbs
South Dakota State

Pre-Draft Analysis
Kraft turns into a big back after the catch. He's smooth transitioning upfield, is quick and has good contact balance. He has the speed and toughness to make plays down the seam. Kraft has the big hands to pluck the ball out of the air, catches passes in stride and makes contested catches over the middle. -- Steve Muench


Post-Draft Analysis
Another tight end for the Packers, and one who will work well in tandem with second-rounder Luke Musgrave. Kraft is a hybrid tight end who can move throughout the formation as an in-line, slot or even H-back style offensive asset. While a more raw route-runner than Musgrave, Kraft's positional versatility and willingness to play special teams will put him on the field. -- Matt Miller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1_qGh8i8vg

The biggest limitation on those highlights is the competition he was facing. He just looked bigger and stronger than any of the defenders while being at least as fast.

In most drafts he's a 2nd. I hope MLF has things already drawn up for double TE packages. We don't need kittles, but we need 2 mismatch guys.

Yet another meh pick. This is a kid who will never be more than an average starter if he fulfills every bit of his potential…and we took him in the third round.

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Originally Posted by King Friday

Yet another meh pick. This is a kid who will never be more than an average starter if he fulfills every bit of his potential…and we took him in the third round.

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I'm not sure what people expect. He's one of the top TE's in the best TE class in years. 3rd round is too early for that? This is a draft short on star power. Christian Watson was the 7th WR taken in last year's draft. He probably would have been #1 this year. If the Packers get one outstanding player and a few solid guys out of this draft, Gute will have done a good job.

We have a glaring need at that position, and we took a guy with less than 50 receptions in his college career. Now that is forcing us to take another guy at the position on day 2 who had an OK career against subpar competition. I think you can do better in what is supposedly a deep draft.

Drafting isn't about analyzing the stats guys had in college. It's much more about looking at a player's abilities and projecting how they will transfer to the NFL.

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Originally Posted by Joemailman

I'm not sure what people expect. He's one of the top TE's in the best TE class in years. 3rd round is too early for that? This is a draft short on star power. Christian Watson was the 7th WR taken in last year's draft. He probably would have been #1 this year. If the Packers get one outstanding player and a few solid guys out of this draft, Gute will have done a good job.

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If Love pans out, yeah. Gute did enough with this. If Love doesn’t pan out, Gute is on a whole different grading scale. He needs really good to great drafts if Love isn’t it.

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Originally Posted by Joemailman

Drafting isn't about analyzing the stats guys had in college. It's much more about looking at a player's abilities and projecting how they will transfer to the NFL.

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Agree. Stats can be misleading. Not sure where the 50 receptions thing comes from -- Kraft has 99 receptions for over 1200 yards and 9 TDs. For a college TE on a predominantly running team that's not bad. SDSU was a pretty good FCS school and he was one of if not their best players. That doesn't guarantee he's a good pick, but in any other year he's a R2 pick. This year's TE class was deeper so he lasted until R3. He's better than DickRod was and he was a R3 pick.
Kraft missed time last year because of injury. Alabama thought enough of him (and apparently that little of Cameron Latu) that they tried to get him to transfer. SEC schools don't come recruiting if you're garbage.

He looks like a damn clydesdale out there. If he has good hands he appears to be very strong and won't get folded by defenders.

Also digging how he went after defenders when he had the ball.

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Originally Posted by MadtownPacker

He looks like a damn clydesdale out there. If he has good hands he appears to be very strong and won't get folded by defenders.

Also digging how he went after defenders when he had the ball.

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Moves real well for a big guy. I try to block out the level of competition and just observe how he moves and compare it in my mind to Kelce and Kittle. He moves as well as Kelce. He has a lot of upside. 4.69 might be just solid, not spectacular, but his burst and movement is elite for his size. This is my favorite pick for the spot in the draft. Van Ness is a top 13 pick so obviously he has a better shot, but in the 3rd round, this kid is crazy. Great pick!

But the great ones have a feel for coverages and how to adjust their routes and releases and just have that savvy. Who knows. But he’s got it physically.

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Originally Posted by RashanGary

But the great ones have a feel for coverages and how to adjust their routes and releases and just have that savvy. Who knows. But he’s got it physically.

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I agree with this. This kid had everything needed to be a successful in line TE in the NFL from a size and athletic standpoint. He’s just going to take awhile to get there IMO and I fear we are going to be playing some very green TEs this season. Hope both are quick learners.

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Originally Posted by King Friday

I agree with this. This kid had everything needed to be a successful in line TE in the NFL from a size and athletic standpoint. He’s just going to take awhile to get there IMO and I fear we are going to be playing some very green TEs this season. Hope both are quick learners.

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I looked at Kelce, Kittle and Grahams careers. They broke out in year 2 and had crummy rookie years. So year 2 looks like best case.

I love the combination of Musgrave and Kraft. Musgrave is more flex than inline--although he's a willing blocker. The second best flex option in this draft IMHO--behind Kincaid. He's a bit better as a blocker than Kincaid but not nearly as dynamic after the catch. Kraft is more like Mayer. He's not as good of a blocker at this point as Mayer, but he's a bit more dynamic of an athlete. I see Greg Olsen in Musgrave's game and I see Dallas Goedert in Kraft's game.

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Originally Posted by RashanGary

I looked at Kelce, Kittle and Grahams careers. They broke out in year 2 and had crummy rookie years. So year 2 looks like best case.

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Kittle had over 500 yards receiving his rookie year. I'd hardly call that crummy.

Graham is kind of an odd duck. He played basketball in college. He only played one year of football at Miami and had 17 receptions. It was going to take him time.

Kelce only played one game his rookie year before being put on IR.

If we can get about 350-450 yards receiving from each of these guys in year 1, that will be a good start. TEs generally take longer to develop, but there's nobody in front of these guys, so I'd expect a bit better production than normal. The Packers are going to have to live with their rookie mistakes--because there are no other options.

Kraft is ok. I wouldn't compare him or Musgrave to Kelce, Kelce is kind of a unicorn.
(Side note for the college stat readers: Kelce's 3-year total college career stats were 59 catches 875 yds 10 TDs, consider that if don't like Musgrave or Kraft's stats)

Agree he's kind of a Mayer-lite, and I think in a draft with average TE depth would be a R2 pick. He timed faster than he seems at 4.69, anything around a 4.7 is good enough for a TE. I think he's got some YAC ability and he can block.
he's what most would call a good value pick in R3 and he also fills a need so it's even better.

IMO Jordan Love has shown more propensity to throw to the TE than Rodgers, I think 50-60 catches for 700-800 yards and about 7-8 TDs combined for Musgrave/Kraft wouldn't be surprising.
Deguara could poach some of those catches as an H-back/move guy as well as the rookies learn the ropes.

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Originally Posted by RashanGary

Moves real well for a big guy. I try to block out the level of competition and just observe how he moves and compare it in my mind to Kelce and Kittle. He moves as well as Kelce. He has a lot of upside. 4.69 might be just solid, not spectacular, but his burst and movement is elite for his size. This is my favorite pick for the spot in the draft. Van Ness is a top 13 pick so obviously he has a better shot, but in the 3rd round, this kid is crazy. Great pick!

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One thing he has that we both like and cannot be taught is redneck toughness. He won’t be getting bullied that’s for sure. At only 22 he hasn’t even fully matured into his big body and will get more solid. Packers needed a dirty white boy TE and this guy seems like he might fit the role.