Oscar Delp Is Exactly the Kind Of Player the Packers Can Develop

Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave are cemented in at tight end for the Green Bay Packers next year, but Musgrave’s future becomes pretty cloudy beyond that. As a result, the Packers may plan ahead by sneaking a tight end into their draft plans this April. Georgia's Oscar Delp is an option with a lot of upside and untapped potential as a receiving threat.

The numbers from Delp's four years at Georgia don't jump off the page. Delp had 70 receptions for 854 yards and nine touchdowns in 55 games played for the Bulldogs. As a senior last year, Delp had just 20 receptions and one touchdown.

Head coach Kirby Smart didn't often discuss the numbers when discussing Delp at press conferences throughout the year. Instead, the often brash Smart praised everything from leadership to steady improvement throughout the years.

Green Bay played in 12-personnel (two-tight-end looks) at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL this past season. It wasn't a new trend. In 2022, under head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers were first in that department and third the following year in 2023.

Under LaFleur, the Packers prefer to use two-tight-end looks far more than most teams, so it's critical to have more than just Kraft as the superstar, go-to option moving forward.

The Packers have given Musgrave adequate opportunities, especially when Kraft suffered a torn ACL last November and missed the final nine games of the regular season. Musgrave has dealt with injuries early in his career. Still, even when he’s healthy and ready to go, it's never clicked to the degree the Packers believed it would.

That doesn't necessarily mean Musgrave will depart Green Bay after his contract expires. However, it means the Packers could try to bring in more competition. Josh Whyle is the only other tight end on the roster — and Whyle is also on a deal that will expire in 2027.

Oscar Delp has plenty of experience, having played four years at Georgia. He also does a lot of things well, including run blocking. His commitment in that area is unquestionable, but his technique could use some fine-tuning. How high Delp’s ceiling is is anyone's guess.

Nobody expects him to come in and be Tucker Kraft 2.0, but Delp definitely has the potential to be a TE2 in an offense that uses plenty of 12-personnel.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com noted Delp’s yet-to-be-determined abilities as a pass catcher.

In Green Bay, tight ends must block as well as they can receive at tight end. At a minimum, the player needs to make a similar investment in both areas. By all accounts, Delp significantly improved his pass-blocking during his final year in college, a nod to his work ethic. If he can continue to add more muscle and more strength, why wouldn't that get even better?

With the high frequency with which the Packers use two tight ends on the field at the same time, having reinforcements behind Kraft in the years to come will be extremely important. In the short term, that answer will remain Musgrave. Beyond 2026, it becomes a bigger question.

Using a Day 3 pick on a tight end this year would be wise, and Oscar Delp fits the mold of a malleable prospect who does a lot of things well but nothing exceptionally — yet. Still, that could change if he gets selected by the right team and developed by the right coaching staff.