These Tight Ends Might Not Be on Packers’ NFL Draft Board

The Green Bay Packers could use a tight end. Looking at history helps narrow a crowded field of prospects.

Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Max Klare catches a ball at pro day in March. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Is tight end a need for the Green Bay Packers in the 2026 NFL Draft?

Well, their best player, Tucker Kraft, is coming off a torn ACL. Their best blocker, John FitzPatrick, is coming off a torn Achilles and is unsigned.

And if that’s not enough, they have exactly zero tight ends under contract for 2027.

Using Green Bay’s history as a guide, here are the best fits in this year’s draft class.

Relative Athletic Score

The late Ted Thompson didn’t stress athleticism with his tight end selections.

Relative Athletic Score combines a player’s height, weight, 40-yard dash and other measurables and compares them to his peers at the position on a 0-to-10 scale. The highest RAS among Thompson’s tight ends was Clark Harris, who found his longtime niche as a long snapper. His RAS was 7.82.

The trend continued under Brian Gutekunst. The first tight end he selected, 2019 third-rounder Jace Sternberger, ran a slow 40 and posted a RAS of 5.17. The following year, third-rounder Josiah Deguara posted a 6.66, but he was undersized and more of a fullback, anyway.

That’s changed, though. Luke Musgrave, a second-round pick in 2023, had a RAS of 9.77. Tucker Kraft, a third-round pick in 2023, had a RAS of 9.67. Josh Whyle, a fifth-round pick by the Titans in 2023 who joined the Packers last season, had a RAS of 8.98.

To summarize: A bunch of tight ends with mediocre measurables posted mediocre results. Go figure. A great RAS doesn’t guarantee anything – Musgrave is Exhibit A – but Kraft is a stud.

Wisconsin’s Lance Mason (5.86), Tennessee’s Miles Kitselman (5.62) and USC’s Lake McRee (3.58) had scores of less than 7.00.

The 40

Gutekunst has drafted four tight ends: Musgrave (4.61), Kraft (4.69), Deguara (4.72) and Sternberger (4.75). The historic Scouting Combine average is 4.76, which is faster than Richard Rodgers (4.87) and Jermichael Finley (4.82), who were drafted in the third round by Thompson.

Only two draft-worthy tight ends fell short of the Combine average: Texas A&M’s Nate Boerkircher (4.78) and USC’s Lake McRee (4.79).

Height

Tight end is a rather generic term. There are old-school, traditional tight ends who line up next to the offensive tackle, such as FitzPatrick. There are big receivers, such as Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq – the best tight end in the draft and the favorite at the position to be a top-10 pick at FanDuel Sportsbook – and Vanderbilt’s Eli Flowers. There are H-backs, like Deguara.

The Packers’ picks over the past two decades range from D.J. Williams (6-foot-2 1/8) in 2011 to Musgrave (6-foot-5 7/8) in 2023.

With such a wide range, no tight ends are excluded. It’s all a matter of what Gutekunst is looking for. He could be looking for an H-back sort, such as Indiana’s Riley Nowakowski (6-2 1/4), or a big guy to replace FitzPatrick, such as Ohio State’s Will Kacmarek (6-5 1/2).

Weight

In terms of weight, Gutekunst’s picks were Deguara (242 pounds but short), Sternberger (251), Musgrave (253) and Kraft (254).

For prospects who are a traditional tight end from a height perspective, the Packers have not drafted tall, lean players such as Notre Dame’s Eli Raridon (6-6 1/8, 245) or Houston’s Tanner Koziol (6-6 1/2, 247).

Hands

It stands to reason that a tight end should have big hands. They help with catching and blocking. Over the last two decades, the tight ends drafted with hands of 9 1/2 inches or smaller were Jermichael Finley (who was a poor blocker and struggled with drops), Kennard Backman (a late-rounder who didn’t stick) and Deguara (who was more of a fullback).

Meanwhile, Musgrave (10 3/8), Kraft (10) and Sternberger (9 3/4) were Gutekunst’s other picks. Thompson’s four tight ends drafted from 2010 through 2014 – Andrew Quarless, Williams, Ryan Taylor and Rodgers – were 10-plus inches.

The historic Combine average is a bit bigger than 9 3/4 inches. Tight ends with hands of 9 1/2 inches or smaller include Indiana’s Nowakowski (8 3/4 but really more of a fullback), Ohio State’s Max Klare (9 1/8), Michigan’s Marlin Klein (9 1/4), SMU’s Matthew Hibner (9 3/8), Mississippi’s Dae’Quan Wright (9 3/8), Oklahoma’s Jaren Kanak (9 3/8), USC’s McRee (9 3/8), Georgia’s Oscar Delp (9 1/2), TCU’s D.J. Rogers (9 1/2) and Penn State’s Khalil Dinkins (9 1/2).

The Best Fits

From a pure size-athleticism perspective, these tight ends could be fits. They are listed by Relative Athletic Score.

Sam Roush, Stanford: Height and weight: 6-foot-6, 267 pounds. 40: 4.70. Hands: 10. RAS: 9.94.

John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming: Height and weight: 6-foot-5 3/4, 249 pounds. 40: 4.60. Hands: 10. RAS: 9.78.

Eli Raridon, Notre Dame: Height and weight: 6-foot-6 1/8, 245 pounds. 40: 4.62. Hands: 10 3/4. RAS: 9.46.

Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 3/4, 239 pounds. 40: 4.51. Hands: 10. RAS: 9.42.

Oscar Delp, Georgia: Height and weight: 6-foot-4 7/8, 245 pounds. 40: 4.49. Hands: 9 1/2. RAS: 9.83.

Tanner Koziol, Houston: Height and weight: 6-foot-6 1/2, 247 pounds. 40: 4.70. Hands: 9 3/4. RAS: 9.58.

Carsen Ryan, BYU: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 3/8, 255 pounds. 40: 4.71. Hands: 10. RAS: 9.28.

Dallen Bentley, Utah: Height and weight: 6-foot-4 1/8, 253 pounds. 40: 4.59. Hands: 9 7/8. RAS: 9.26.

Bauer Sharp, LSU: Height and weight: 6-foot-4 5/8, 249 pounds. 40: 4.63. Hands: 9 7/8. RAS: 9.16.

Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M: Height and weight: 6-foot-5 1/2, 245pounds. 40: 4.78. Hands: 10 1/2. RAS: 8.90.

Jack Endries, Texas: Height and weight: 6-foot-4 5/8, 245 pounds. 40: 4.62. Hands: 9 5/8. RAS: 8.87.

Will Kacmarek, Ohio State: Height and weight: 6-foot-5 1/2, 261 pounds. 40: 4.74. Hands: 9 3/4. RAS: 7.92.

Josh Cuevas, Alabama: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 3/8, 245 pounds. 40: 4.65. Hands: 9 5/8. RAS: 7.23.

Justin Joly, N.C. State: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 1/2, 241 pounds. 40: DNP. Hands: 10 5/8. RAS: None.

Joe Royer, Cincinnati: Height and weight: 6-foot-5 1/8, 247 pounds. 40: DNP. Hands: 10 3/4. RAS: None.

Michael Trigg, Baylor: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 3/4, 240 pounds. 40: DNP. Hands: 10 1/2. RAS: None.

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