GREEN BAY – Tucker Kraft has had one goal and one goal only since he was drafted in the third round back in 2023, and that’s to be the best tight end he can possibly be for the Packers.
In the process, however, the third-year veteran is quickly becoming one of the top tight ends in the entire NFL.
Thursday night was the latest example, as Kraft took over under the lights at Lambeau Field with six receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown in a 27-18 rout of the Washington Commanders in front of 77,289.
It’s not unprecedented production, as Kraft had a couple 100-yard performances during his time at South Dakota State. But nothing quite as memorable as this as every catch, every yard contributed in a major way to Green Bay’s first four scoring drives.
“Whatever I can do to just help the team win, that is my main goal,” Kraft said. “By moving the ball, moving the sticks, being aggressive with the ball in my hands, that’s a way for me to bring momentum to the offense and for us to continue to keep it rolling.”
Kraft’s impact was immediate against Washington, catching a 15-yard pass to move the Packers off their goal line on their second possession before breaking free for 57 yards through the middle of the field two plays later.
It was the third-longest catch of the 24-year-old tight end’s young career after he notched a pair of 60-plus-yard receptions last October – a 67-yarder in Jacksonville and a 66-yarder against the Los Angeles Rams.
Those three receptions of 55-plus yards since 2024 are the most among all NFL tight ends, with no other TE posting more than one over that span.
Thursday’s catch-and-run down the middle keyed a 7-play, 96-yard scoring drive, a series that ended with a 5-yard TD pass to Romeo Doubs that staked the Packers to a 7-0 lead.
“I been screaming his name since last year, man,” running back Josh Jacobs said. “The way that he comes in and he works his butt off and really how he step up this year as a leader, I think, is special. He didn’t leave. He came the whole offseason, stayed here, he was in the building every day. Workouts and OTAs, he’s first in line. He’s running hard. I think that he’s getting everything that he put in and I’m happy for him.”
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