Without Tucker Kraft, OTAs Will Be Vital for Packers’ Tight Ends

The Green Bay Packers will begin OTAs next week without one of their best players.

Tucker Kraft, one of the NFL’s premier tight ends, is recovering from last year’s torn ACL. While there is optimism he will be on the field for Week 1, he obviously will not be participating in the three weeks of OTAs or the mandatory minicamp that will be held over the next month.

Kraft’s pain could mean someone’s gain, making these four weeks of vital importance. Following looks at the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and offensive line, our OTA previews continue with the tight ends.

Packers Tight Depth Chart: Starter

Tucker Kraft: Kraft is one of the best in the business. Coming off a huge game against Pittsburgh, Kraft through seven games led all NFL tight ends in receiving yards and was tied for first in touchdowns. The Packers haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Davante Adams in 2021; Kraft was on pace for 1,139 yards before suffering a torn ACL against Carolina.

Packers Tight End Depth Chart: Backups

Luke Musgrave: Musgrave was a second-round pick in 2023. Given another opportunity to restart his career following Tucker Kraft’s injury – more on that in a moment – he caught 24 passes for 252 yards and zero touchdowns in 17 games (10 starts) last season. He had only one game of more than three receptions and 40 yards.

The next month could be pivotal to his career. How can he finally maximize his potential?

“Practice habits,” tight ends coach John Dunn said recently. “Just daily. It’s a daily grind in this sport. You go out there once a week and play, but practice is every single day, the meeting room is every single day, training is every day.

“You develop consistency through your daily habits. It’s something we work on constantly. Every player in our room in every area, they’re trying to develop the consistency in whatever that is. It could be footwork, hand placement. It’s a lot of different areas. So just doing it daily, in and out, over and over and over again.”

Josh Whyle: Whyle was a fifth-round pick by the Titans in 2023. After catching 28 passes for 248 yards in 2024, they released him at the end of camp last year and he landed on the Packers’ practice squad. Tucker Kraft’s knee injury was Whyle’s ticket to the roster. In eight games, he caught five passes for 36 yards and one touchdown.

Green Bay Packers tight end Josh Whyle (81) celebrates after catches a touchdown pass against the New York Giants. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

“Versatility is a key at our position to be able to do a lot of different things and he did a really nice job with that,” Dunn said. “It’s cool to have him in the offseason where he can really go ground level and get there. I’m excited that he’s back here with us.”

Messiah Swinson: Swinson is back for Round 3 with the Packers. He signed with the Packers as an undrafted rookie in 2024, failed to make their roster and opened the season on the practice squad. After a short stint on Carolina’s 53-man roster, he spent the rest of the season on Green Bay’s practice squad. Swinson competed for a roster spot in training camp last year, failed to make their roster and spent the season on the practice squads of the 49ers and Cardinals before finishing the season back on Green Bay’s practice squad.

Drake Dabney: After Kraft’s injury, the Packers signed Dabney to their practice squad. He caught one pass for 3 yards in two games. In four seasons at Baylor and one at TCU, he caught 84 passes for 1,066 yards and eight touchdowns.

RJ Maryland: Maryland is an undrafted rookie who caught 113 passes for 1,495 yards and 19 touchdowns in four seasons at SMU. At 6-foot-3 5/8 and 236 pounds with 4.51 speed in the 40, he’s more of an overgrown receiver than a traditional tight end. His father is Russell Maryland, the first overall pick of the 1991 draft who started 16 games for the Packers during his final NFL season in 2000.

RJ Maryland is a TE prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 7.32 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 391 out of 1456 TE from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/32OFF6bXNK pic.twitter.com/4QiwHnHLa0
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 3, 2026

What We Know: Tucker Kraft Is Great

Through seven games last season, Tucker Kraft among tight ends ranked seventh in targets and ninth in catches but first in yards and tied for first in touchdowns. Even while missing the final nine games with a torn ACL, he finished tied for eighth with six touchdowns and eighth with 347 yards after the catch.

Last season, 49 tight ends were targeted at least 30 times. According to Pro Football Focus, Kraft finished:

First with a 157.2 passer rating when targeted. (Dalton Kincaid was second at 149.2.)

First with 10.8 yards after the catch per catch. (Greg Dulcich was a distant second with 7.5.)

First with 15.3 yards per catch. (Kincaid was second with 14.6.)

Second with 2.33 yards per route. (Kincaid was first with 2.79.)

Kraft is an excellent blocker, as well, and a team leader. Really, he’s a complete tight end and a face-of-the-franchise type of player.

What We Don’t Know: Who Will Block?

Tucker Kraft can block, obviously, but the Packers will need to be smart with him as he returns to action. That might mean reducing his workload, at least at the start. Because he’s an elite receiving threat, it might make sense to relieve him of some of the burden in the run game.

That role was held last season by John FitzPatrick, but he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 16 and was not re-signed. The Packers have tried twice to fill that niche but undrafted rookie Eni Falayi and waiver-claim Luke Lachey failed their physicals.

“Learning to block is not a natural thing,” tight ends coach John Dunn said of his group. “That’s a developmental deal and it’s a lot about mindset and then it’s a lot about technique. That’s what this time of the year is for is to develop that. We drill it. We go through it and eventually you got to go against a defense. You got to get out there with pads on and you got to develop that. It’s an ongoing process for sure.”

At this point, Messiah Swinson could be the front-runner. At 6-foot-7 and 259 pounds, he’s got the size to handle that role and should get a lot of opportunities during OTAs and training camp to show what he can do.

Key Player for OTAs?: Golden Opportunity 3.0

Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave reaches for a catch against the Detroit Lions. | David Reginek-Imagn Images

In the 2023 draft, the Packers selected Luke Musgrave in the second round and Tucker Kraft in the third round. For most of their rookie seasons, it looked like Musgrave was the better player. That all changed when Musgrave suffered a kidney injury that knocked him out for six games. Kraft went from barely playing to playing practically every snap.

When Kraft suffered a torn pectoral in May 2024, Musgrave had an opportunity to regain his role in the offense. He did not. When Kraft suffered a torn ACL against Carolina in Week 9, Musgrave had an opportunity to regain his role. He did not.

Kraft will be sidelined throughout the offseason practices and perhaps into the start of training camp. With size and speed, these should be the settings where Musgrave thrives and builds momentum for training camp. Can he take advantage this time? Having not scored a touchdown since his rookie season, his next NFL contract will depend on it.

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