The Green Bay Packers spent years trying to solve their tight end problem. Since Jermichael Finley‘s departure, the Packers tried draft picks, bespoke free agents, and everything in between to find consistency at the position.
Finally, it appears they’ve found some answers, and Green Bay has its best tight end room in years.
Tucker Kraft had a promising end to his rookie season and has emerged as a shooting star in Year 2. He has displayed elite skills as a blocker and receiver, which paints him as an emerging George Kittle-like player. Fellow second-year Luke Musgrave hasn’t had a breakout yet, but the young tight end has a high ceiling thanks to his athletic profile and catch radius.
Unfortunately, Musgrave will miss time with an ankle injury that landed him on IR. Musgrave will hope to return and earn a bigger role in a few weeks. However, this offers an extended look for Ben Sims, their third tight end. Sims has been a forgotten man behind the two Day 3 picks, but he showed some promise in his rookie season. Now, after a big game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sims will get to further showcase what he brings to this promising tight end group.
Undrafted out of Baylor, Sims spent last summer with the Minnesota Vikings before being claimed by the Packers after final roster cuts.
Sims played 189 snaps on offense and 97 on special teams, mainly as a blocker. His role grew when Musgrave landed on IR and Josiah Deguara tumbled down the depth chart. Sims finished his rookie season, catching four of his six targets for 21 yards. Three catches were first downs, and he scored his first NFL touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13. His score meant the Packers had three rookie tight ends with a touchdown, a rare accomplishment.
Despite most of his play being blocking, it’s worth noting that Sims ran a 4.58 40, showing some juice.
Joining Green Bay’s roster late in the offseason meant he spent most of his early tenure learning the playbook on the spot, which he compared to “drinking water out of a fire hose.”
“I will say last year was a very week-to-week basis,” he said. “All the game plans were words, and terminology and concepts that I’ve never really been familiar with, especially being a rookie.”
That trial by fire last season — and a full year in the system — readied Sims to tackle a larger role in relief of Musgrave.
“I thought last week he handled himself the way we’d expect him to,” Matt LaFleur said last week. “He and Luke are different players, but Ben does a good job in his role.”
Sims had a promising offseason, which translated nicely in his first spotlight game this past Sunday. He was fantastic as a run blocker, helping Green Bay’s ground game persevere on the rainy field. However, he turned heads with his pass-catching ability.
On a second-and-five in the second quarter, Sims caught a low pass from Jordan Love for 28 yards, eclipsing his total yards from last season in one play. It was a fantastic catch on a not-great throw from Love that Sims turned into a big gain. Sims could have taken it even further if Love had thrown the ball better. He also caught another 10-yard pass in the third quarter.
Two passes might not seem like a lot, but Green Bay’s offense spreads the ball around and doesn’t feature any particular player. You’ll get your targets if you can block, run your routes well, and catch the ball. Sims was already a solid run blocker. Showing such strong hands (on a rainy day, no less) means he’ll continue getting opportunities as a receiver.
Sims was the second-highest-graded Packer by PFF (83.8) and their overall fourth-ranked Packer for his efforts.
The Packers love two-tight-end sets and need more than warm bodies at the position. LaFleur loves good blocking and motion, and Sims will have plenty of responsibilities. Even with Kraft emerging as a star TE1, Sims will get plenty of chances to be a play’s primary focus. The early returns have shown that Sims can handle a bigger workload.
If Sims can continue to maximize his snaps, he can maintain a more significant role even when Musgrave returns. That would give the Packers three reliable tight ends with different skill sets. Not many teams have that luxury, and it is especially vital for LaFleur’s “illusion of complexity.”
Tight end is famously one of the most challenging positions to translate from the collegiate level to the NFL. Yet the former UDFA is building on a solid rookie season and showing he can be a reliable piece of Green Bay’s offense. If Sims continues to shine in his role, Green Bay might have one of the league’s deepest tight end rooms.
