The Green Bay Packers saw Robert Tonyan join forces with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears earlier in the year and five-year starter, Marcedes Lewis, is still a free agent.
That doesn’t mean the Packers have a giant hole on the roster, however. The team drafted two very talented tight ends in Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft. There’s also Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis, two guys who have multiple years of experience in Matt LaFleur’s offense.
It’s the two rookies that are key, however. The Packers really need both guys to hit the ground running if the offense wants to avoid as many growing pains as possible.
That’s obviously easier said than done considering how hard it is for guys to quickly grasp the TE position in the NFL, but it’s certainly not impossible.
Of the two, Musgrave’s development matters most and that centers around the fact that he can line up anywhere along the formation – including in the slot and out wide. That type of versatility -think Travis Kelce without the pedigree- can open up the Packers offense and really keep defenses guessing as to what’s happening in front of them.
So far, it sounds like Musgrave is on track to be TE1 when the season starts.
Yes, I think Musgrave will be TE1 by Week 1. The Packers think he can be the true No. 1 pass-catching tight end that Robert Tonyan was at times but not consistently enough, someone like Jermichael Finley in his prime perhaps.
The best-case scenario for the Packers is Musgrave developing into almost a wide receiver, someone who can line up anywhere and make plays all over the field like Travis Kelce, Darren Waller and the other most athletic tight ends in the NFL. He’ll have to prove he can block adequately, though, which the Packers need from the position after Marcedes Lewis’ departure. – Matt Schneidman, The Athletic
Musgrave played the Y position in college, but would also line up in the slot when the play design called for it. His wingspan, acceleration, run-after-the-catch success, and ability to separate from defenders should be the driving forces behind whatever success he has in 2023 and with those traits, he should be able to have a pretty solid year.
The talent and ability is there. When combining that with the versatility and philosophy of the Packers offense, it’s easy to see why this could be a partnership that takes off from the beginning.
