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No tight end in Green Bay Packers history has ever reached 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Could Tucker Kraft be the first?
In his second season, Kraft finished with 707 receiving yards, already the fifth most in a single season by a Packers tight end. Coming off his breakout year, Matt LaFleur was asked if Kraft could be a George Kittle or Travis Kelce type of player in his offense.
"100 percent," was his response.
Both Kittle and Kelce have combined for 11 1,000-yard seasons in their career. For Kraft to reach that level of production, seeing a higher volume of targets is a must.
Kraft averaged 4.1 targets per game in 2024. In each of Kelce's 1,000-yard seasons, he averaged 8.6 targets per game. Kittle, meanwhile, has averaged exactly seven.
Working in his favor, the Packers recognize Kraft's potential, which will likely lead to an increased role moving forward.
"I think that's on us to find him and feature him," LaFleur said. "When he gets the ball in his hands, you feel him. If there's an area we have to do a better job on, it's featuring the tight end."
The Packers haven't had a game-changing tight end since Jermichael Finley, but even in his prime, Finley's best numbers came in 2011 when he posted the second-most yards in a season by a Packers TE with 767 on 92 targets across a full slate of games. Paul Coffman holds the top spot with his 814-yard season in 1983.
For Kraft to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, he would have to do a ton of damage and probably play in all 17 games. In those games, he would need to average 58.8 yards and anywhere from seven to nine targets, while catching five to six of those targets.
Last season, Kraft averaged 14.1 yards per reception, which ranked second among tight ends, only behind Kittle. That average meets the requirements, though Kraft probably won't see enough targets given Green Bay's current offensive structure.
Since the departure of Davante Adams, the team has gotten away from leaning on a true No.1 wide receiver. Now, they have Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Dontayvion Wicks, who could lead the team in receiving on any given week. Add first-rounder Matthew Golden to the mix, and that's another weapon who will command targets from Jordan Love.
The Packers couldn't care less about statistical accolades, but there's nothing stopping Kraft from emerging into one of the league's best tight ends as early as 2025. A 1,000-yard season, on the other hand? That would be the icing on the cake.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Could Tucker Kraft become the first 1,000-yard tight end in Packers history?
Continue reading...
In his second season, Kraft finished with 707 receiving yards, already the fifth most in a single season by a Packers tight end. Coming off his breakout year, Matt LaFleur was asked if Kraft could be a George Kittle or Travis Kelce type of player in his offense.
"100 percent," was his response.
Both Kittle and Kelce have combined for 11 1,000-yard seasons in their career. For Kraft to reach that level of production, seeing a higher volume of targets is a must.
Kraft averaged 4.1 targets per game in 2024. In each of Kelce's 1,000-yard seasons, he averaged 8.6 targets per game. Kittle, meanwhile, has averaged exactly seven.
Working in his favor, the Packers recognize Kraft's potential, which will likely lead to an increased role moving forward.
"I think that's on us to find him and feature him," LaFleur said. "When he gets the ball in his hands, you feel him. If there's an area we have to do a better job on, it's featuring the tight end."
The Packers haven't had a game-changing tight end since Jermichael Finley, but even in his prime, Finley's best numbers came in 2011 when he posted the second-most yards in a season by a Packers TE with 767 on 92 targets across a full slate of games. Paul Coffman holds the top spot with his 814-yard season in 1983.
For Kraft to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, he would have to do a ton of damage and probably play in all 17 games. In those games, he would need to average 58.8 yards and anywhere from seven to nine targets, while catching five to six of those targets.
Last season, Kraft averaged 14.1 yards per reception, which ranked second among tight ends, only behind Kittle. That average meets the requirements, though Kraft probably won't see enough targets given Green Bay's current offensive structure.
Since the departure of Davante Adams, the team has gotten away from leaning on a true No.1 wide receiver. Now, they have Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Dontayvion Wicks, who could lead the team in receiving on any given week. Add first-rounder Matthew Golden to the mix, and that's another weapon who will command targets from Jordan Love.
The Packers couldn't care less about statistical accolades, but there's nothing stopping Kraft from emerging into one of the league's best tight ends as early as 2025. A 1,000-yard season, on the other hand? That would be the icing on the cake.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Could Tucker Kraft become the first 1,000-yard tight end in Packers history?
Continue reading...
