The Packers Should Target A Tight End On Day 3

General manager Brian Gutekunst had a plan in 2023 when he drafted tight end Luke Musgrave in the second round and Tucker Kraft the following round. The idea was to have a dynamic one-two punch at tight end with both TEs bringing different assets to the table.

Three years into the experiment, Kraft is one of the better tight ends in the league, while Musgrave has underwhelmed. Even with Kraft's emergence, tight end should be a Day 3 target for Gutekunst and Co. in April's draft. His original plan in 2023 is still valid; it may just need a slight personnel shift.

Kraft will be returning from a torn ACL in 2026, but the need to add to the room has nothing to do with his injury.

Head coach Matt LaFleur provided an update on Kraft in late March, and everything sounds great with Kraft's rehab timeline.

“It’ll be great to have Tucker Kraft coming off his ACL injury,” LaFleur said. “He’s been around quite a bit. Watching him train and rehab and go through that process, he’s gonna be a big focal point of our offense.”

Kraft was the focal point in the passing game before his ACL injury last season. Now, with Kraft set to return and with a healthy Christian Watson in the mix, the offense should be operating at full speed.

But the situation gets dicier just behind Kraft, which is why the tight end room could use a lift.

Musgrave has never lived up to his second-round billing. Even when Kraft went down against the Carolina Panthers and was ruled out for the season, Musgrave only produced 15 receptions and zero touchdowns in the nine remaining games.

Like Kraft, Musgrave is on an expiring deal, although it's fully expected that Kraft will cash in before the season starts. Josh Whyle is behind those two, who re-signed on a one-year deal earlier in the offseason.

That sets things up for the Packers to have all three on the final year of their current deals if they don't reach an extension with Kraft. Even though that seems far-fetched, the future at tight end behind Kraft is murky at best. John FitzPatrick had emerged as a nice depth piece who excelled at run blocking, but a torn Achilles tendon in late December also ended his 2025 season and perhaps his 2026 campaign. FitzPatrick remains unsigned in free agency.

Adding a tight end now would keep Green Bay from dealing with a likely avalanche of change in the 2026 offseason. Kraft is the pillar. Still, the Packers love using 12-personnel, so another proficient tight end is more than just a luxury; it’s a necessity.

In 2025, even with Kraft missing the final nine games of the season, the Packers used two tight end sets at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL. LaFleur rolled out 12-personnel on 33.7% of Green Bay's plays. The league average was 22.3%.

In an ideal world, Musgrave would be the Robin to Kraft's Batman, but it hasn't worked out that way. It's unlikely LaFleur will shy away from 12 personnel moving forward, because he hasn't made any drastic changes to the offense or its philosophy. The only drastic change last year was Kraft's injury, and that still didn't steer LaFleur away — at least not significantly — from continuing to roll out two-tight-end packages.

Whether it's a block-first tight end or a threat in the passing game, getting a tight end on Day 3 could be a small boost now and a boon for the long-term future. It would be fine if they used a Day 2 pick on the position. Still, given that the Packers don't have a first-rounder this year, an investment at tight end likely wouldn't come until later on.

There would be zero immediate pressure on whoever they select to step up immediately. Kraft is the focal point, and Musgrave will still be the No. 2 this season. Hell, the Packers used a first-round pick on Matthew Golden last April and didn't give him adequate opportunities all season. Green Bay has a knack for slowly bringing along offensive skill players. This case would be no different.

Day 3 includes Rounds 4 through 7. That’s a wide net Green Bay could cast to try and snag a tight end who could play a major role in the years to come. It'd be smart to address the situation now instead of kicking the can down the road.