We’ve been talking NFL draft prospects and the Green Bay Packers over the last week. If you want to catch up on the previous posts in this series, we’ve already hit on the quarterback, running back and receiver positions. Next up for us is tight end, which might be a sneaky need or not a need at all, depending on your perspective.
Packers tight end depth chart
- Tucker Kraft
- Luke Musgrave
- Josh Whyle
- Drake Dabney
- Messiah Swinson
- McCallan Castles
The X factor here is obviously the health of tight end Tucker Kraft, but if he follows the recovery timeline of Christian Watson last year, he should be good to return to the field
by early August and should be full force by the start of the regular season. That will go a long way to ease the minds of Packers fans at the position.
In recent seasons, the Packers have tried to stick to just three tight ends on the roster. The fact that running back Chris Brooks is a blocking specialist helps them keep just three at the position, too, along with the fact that offensive tackle Darian Kinnard frequently plays tight end. If the Packers only need to roster three, running it back with Kraft, Luke Musgrave and Josh Whyle, who was brought back on a one-year contract this offseason, would be an easy choice.
If the team wants to keep four, though, or needs to backfill at the position, there are few good options on the roster internally. The fourth tight end last year (really fifth) was Whyle, after Ben Sims was poached off waivers by the Minnesota Vikings and John FitzPatrick was lost for the year with an Achilles tendon tear. FitzPatrick remains a free agent.
Tight End Consensus Draft Board Rankings
- #17: Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
- #51: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
- #73: Max Klare, Ohio State
- #89: Oscar Delp, Georgia
- #109: Sam Roush, Stanford
- #117: Justin Joly, NC State
- #123: Michael Trigg, Baylor
- #142: Eli Raridon, Notre Dame
- #147: Joe Royer, Cincinnati
- #170: Jack Endries, Texas
- #173: Marlin Klein, Michigan
- #175: Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M
- #183: Dallen Bentley, Utah
- #186: Will Kacmarek, Ohio State
- #206: Riley Nowakowski, Indiana
- #217: John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming
- #221: Tanner Koziol, Houston
- #232: Josh Cuevas, Alabama
- #243: Matthew Hibner, SMU
- #247: Dae’Quan Wright, Mississippi
I’m going to be honest: I’ve done the least amount of work on the tight end position in this draft other than maybe safety, because they’re the positions I think the Packers are least likely to hit on during Day 2 and early Day 3 of the draft. With that being said, people in the scouting community believe this class is very deep at the position, in that more players will be selected than in previous years.
If you have a favorite at the position, let us know in the comments section. As of now, none of the Packers’ 21 confirmed pre-draft visitors have come from the tight end position.
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