Last offseason, the Green Bay Packers faced the prospect of having to completely revamp their tight end room. Both Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan were free agents, and Green Bay was facing a transition to a younger roster led by quarterback Jordan Love following the trade of Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets.
To replace the two veteran tight ends, both of whom ended up signing with the Chicago Bears, Green Bay drafted Luke Musgrave (second round) and Tucker Kraft (third round) in the 2023 NFL Draft.
While many assumed Musgrave would be the better of the two tight ends, it was Kraft who capture the hearts of Packers fans last season.
Tucker Kraft Endeared Himself to Green Bay Packers Fans Before He Burst on the Scene
Even before he took the field for a preseason game with the Packers, fans already knew they would love Kraft. A product of South Dakota, Kraft was already familiar with a popular Wisconsin-based fast food chain, Culvers. Upon his arrival in Wisconsin, Kraft posted on X (formerly Twitter):
There really is a culvers at every Wisconsin exit and I’m here for it.
— Tucker Kraft (@TuckerKraft) May 4, 2023
Culvers even sent Kraft a little care package to welcome him to Green Bay:
Thank you @culvers ! pic.twitter.com/7mya1XBVz9
— Tucker Kraft (@TuckerKraft) June 9, 2023
Kraft’s love of hunting and fishing, two popular pastimes in the state of Wisconsin, also made him popular among fans early on.
As is the case for many fan-favorites, though, his popularity boomed once he started getting regular playing time and producing on the field.
Kraft finished his rookie season with 31 receptions for 355 yards and two touchdowns. The majority of this production came after Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers. In that game, Musgrave suffered a lacerated kidney and missed several weeks, paving the way for Kraft to be the starting tight end for a few weeks.
That being said, it was Kraft’s attitude towards blocking that really had fans jumping on his bandwagon. A few days after the Packers’ victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12, the young tight end told the Draft Network, “I’m comfortable with violence at the LOS. I want to punish defenders as a blocker. I see the emotions in their face change once I put them on their heels. I can feel their breath leaving. They exhale as I fall on top of them.”
Green Bay Packers Tight End Tucker Kraft Wore a Red Jersey in Practice on Thursday
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Kraft missed much of the Packers’ OTA’s and the beginning of training camp as he recovered from a torn pectoral muscle he suffered while lifting weights during the offseason. Early this year, he battling a shoulder injury. While he has not missed a game yet, the Packers’ coaching staff had him practice in a red jersey on Thursday, indicating that he was not to take any contact during drills.
When reporters asked him about it after practice, Kraft said, “Every morning I wake up feeling even better and come Sunday I’ll be ready to try to tear somebody’s face off again. It’ll be good.”
While there are many reasons to love the second-year tight end, the attitude he has towards blocking is one of the things fans love the most about him.
He will certainly be a player to keep an eye on this Sunday and for the rest of the season.
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