After Tucker Kraft’s 66-yard touchdown reception early in the third quarter on Sunday, Jim Nantz said, “He plays the game the way it was meant to be played.” Kraft’s touchdown put the Green Bay Packers ahead 17-13 in their 24-19 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Kraft had arguably the best game of his life in LA. With five targets, four receptions, 88 yards, and two scores, his heroics were key in a Packers victory.
While Kraft’s performance was great last Sunday, he’s starting to emerge as Green Bay’s best tight end and one of the best tight ends in football. Against the Rams, Kraft had the second-highest PFF grade on the team (75.3), meaning he was above average. It was enough to earn him the game ball for this performance.
“I play every play the way I do,” said Kraft after getting the game ball, “because I love you guys.”
The South Dakota State product is becoming a key cog in the blocking scheme, and Kraft laid some huge blocks on Sunday.
Kraft can go one-on-one with defensive linemen in both of these running situations, sometimes sealing the edge by himself. Matt Lafleur can trust him to seal the edge, which is huge for the run game. It allows the tackles and guards to move to the second level more easily, which will likely spring big runs.
Kraft has been stellar in not just the blocking game but also the running game.
Just take a look at some of these stats through five weeks of the NFL season:
Tucker Kraft TE rankings:
- Receiving yards (218): 6th
- TD catches (3): T-1st
- YAC (172): 1st
- YAC/reception (11.8, per NGS): 1st
- YAC/expectation (+54): 1st
- YAC over expectation/reception (3.7): 1st
- % of snaps played In-Line: 55.8 (2nd of 20 TEs)
- Avg Depth of target: 3.1 (20th of 20 TEs)
- YAC per Reception: 11.5 (1st of 20 TEs)
Kraft also leads the NFL in YAC per reception at 11.8. Coincidentally, Jayden Reed is second in the league at nine. Kraft does not go down after contact.
“You’ve got to keep blocking with Tuck,” Dontayvion Wicks said when asked what was going through his mind as he blocked on Kraft’s long score. “When Tuck gets the ball, I’ve never seen him go down on the first, second contact.”
That’s something that Kraft takes pride in. The 23-year-old is not letting anyone take him down upon first contact. That’s just one reason why he leads the league in so many YAC categories.
“Just goes back to … the standard I set at the beginning of the season – don’t let a DB tackle me in space,” said Kraft. “Sometimes that still happens but always trying to make the first one miss. But head down, bull in a China shop. That’s just what I do.”
Kraft reached a top speed of 19.7 mph on his 66-yard touchdown reception, the fastest speed by a tight end on a TD this season. The second-year player is the first Green Bay tight end with 35-plus receptions and 475-plus receiving yards in a 10-game span since Jermichael Finley did it in 2012.
“We’re always trying to get guys of that character in here who love the game, who love to play for their brother next to them, and he’s embodied that,” Matt LaFleur said, praising Kraft’s “team-first” mentality “When you do that, everybody’s happy for your success.”
It took a while and was not always easy for Kraft, but he’s been a force for the Packers in tight end room. The league is starting to catch on to how big of a hero he is, too.
All stats and data via ESPN and The Green Bay Packers unless otherwise noted.
