Cory's Corner: Tuck Just Wants It More
The small town kid is turning into a big time problem for NFL defenses.
It wasn’t supposed to be him.
Tucker Kraft was drafted in the third round of 2023, but Luke Musgrave was supposed to be the guy. The Packers drafted him in the second round of the same year, and he was projected to be the athletic, dynamic and special tight end that Tuck has turned out to be.
The stage is yours now Tucker. He is second on the team in targets with 41, behind Romeo Doubs’ 42. He leads the team in receiving yardage by 119 and also leads the team in receiving touchdowns with six.
Coming into Sunday’s game with Carolina, Kraft is second among all eligible tight ends with 15.6 yards per reception. You don’t find a tight end that is able to hit the home run that often. The Panthers intermediate defense has been weak this season, so exploiting that should be business as usual for Kraft and Co. The Panthers are 27th in the league by allowing 528 receiving yards to tight ends this year.
“I catch the ball,” said Kraft. “I see run lanes. I’ve worked a lot on my ball security. I just don’t think people can tackle me.”
Tight ends form an uncommon bond with quarterbacks. They are usually called their security blanket, because they are easy to spot when the pocket collapses like a house of cards. But Kraft is more than a blanket. He is the security blanket with a cooler of beverages likely from The Corner Bar & Grill in Timber Lake, S.D., his favorite watering hole back home. And he will accompany it with an abundant supply of Mac & Cheese that the Kraft Heinz Company sent his way last winter.
It’s almost like Kraft has been here his entire life because it’s such a natural fit. He loves Culver’s and he always has a smile on his face when talking about the state and surrounding Green Bay area.
“I’m having a good time, and I really enjoy Green Bay,” said Kraft. “It’s pretty much like home. No traffic, really small town.”
He isn’t just one of the best tight ends in football, he has turned into an ambassador for the team and the state.
“He’s a guy that approaches the game the right way,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur this past September. “I can’t say enough great things about Tuck and just the growth we’ve seen from him from the time he got here. But it’s not only him on the football field, it’s every facet of life I would say. He’s a real leader for us.”
And let’s be honest, nobody expected any of this from the burly kid from South Dakota State. His draft party wasn’t elaborate by any means. It was in a rustic airport hangar, which belonged to his family’s crop-dusting business, Air Kraft Spraying. He just goes out and does his job — which I think is what makes him so appealing.
“I don’t do fancy drills,” said Kraft this past summer. “I just run routes. I run hard, I run at 100 percent and I believe that’s going to put me in the best position whenever my number’s called.”
Tuck would’ve still succeeded if he played in New York or Los Angeles, but the fit couldn’t be any better with him in the smallest market in pro sports. He doesn’t care about all of the other stuff that distracts players in larger markets.
He just wants to play football.
“I DO THIS”
Tucker Kraft might just be the best player in the NFL at this point. I don’t make the rules.
pic.twitter.com/6yF2VEhfVV— SleeperPackers (@SleeperPackers) October 27, 2025
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (13)
SicSemperTyrannis
November 01, 2025 at 07:22 am
Another article on Tucker Kraft?!? C'mon Cory, don't you think we're tired of hearing about him by now?
HELL NO WE AREN'T!
You don't win a SB without star players, and #85 is absolutely a STAR. His ceiling is nowhere in sight, and might not even exist. I'm not convinced there's any ceiling at all to how well he'll be able to play. Certainly he's got time to continue to improve, and giving him even more opportunity than he's had lately is clearly in the best interest of this team. The only question is will he run over someone foolish enough to try to tackle him, run through them, or run around them? I've seen him do all three, and ON THE SAME PLAY. Josh Jacobs can stiff arm defenders into the fifth row, and as a run blocker #85 makes would be tacklers just look silly. He's won 1 on 1 against not only DEs but GOOD DEs!
My only point of contention with you is that upon being drafted, it was perfectly obvious that #88 is a big bodied WR more than a real TE, and 85 would take more time to develop before he could really contribute. All that's a couple seasons in the rearview mirror and it's no surprise that 85 is TE1.
YAC attack from the Pack! Kraft YAC and cheese. Tuck Norris - the sun asks him permission before it rises in the morning, and etc with the Chuck Norris jokes. I don't care what you call him, as long as he's a Green Bay Packer he'll be one of our best. Gutey will make him the #1 priority to re-sign unless he goes truly insane.
LambeauPlain
November 01, 2025 at 10:07 am
"You don't win a SB without star players, and #85 is absolutely a STAR."
Yes he is SST and has been for awhile. Many fans were mumbling about Tuck being assigned as mostly a blocker (I know, he likes doing that too), with few targets in the pass game. I was one because of his size, football speed, hands, balance, vision, and his "try and stop me" attitude. All ingredients to manufacture YAC.
Well, it seems LaFleur finally agrees...Tuck is a top target now!
And with the return of the other Calvary Tooper from the Dakota Territory, Christian Watson (North Dakota) is going to keep the Panthers from sliding too much coverage toward Tuck (South Dakota).
Add Doubs and Josh Jacobs, growing stars Golden and Williams with Love leading it all...quite a galaxy star potential.
TKWorldWide
November 01, 2025 at 07:24 am
The football things…he’s very good at them!
Leatherhead
November 01, 2025 at 08:35 am
I think that defensive coordinators know who he is now. He'll be getting a lot more attention from here on out.
LambeauPlain
November 01, 2025 at 10:10 am
Then less attention for Watson, Doubs, Golden, Williams, and maybe Musgrave will finally have a game.
TKWorldWide
November 01, 2025 at 01:32 pm
Same page, LP!
Handsback
November 01, 2025 at 09:06 am
Even in his first year, he showed what kind of player he was. It's ok to have your TE as your primary passing focus. I believe there's a team in MO that prove it and a team in the northeast that also did it successful.
A good TE puts a lot of stress on defenses because the more they try to stop him, the higher the probability a speedy receiver will be left open and I have heard that Green Bay has a couple of those guy on the roster.
JMHO
Spock
November 01, 2025 at 09:41 am
Now if we can just have the blockers for him say (with apologies to the old "Shake 'n Bake" commercial), "He's Tuck 'n Truck and Ah (i) helped!" :)
LambeauPlain
November 01, 2025 at 10:33 am
Sunday should be a good game for Kraft. He's just what is needed for a defense like the Panthers.
Good game for Jacobs, Wilson, Brooks, and Doubs too...with a few explosives from Watson and Golden.
Panthers have an above average D under HC Ejiro Evero. (LaFleur passed over Evero for DC in favor of Barry.)
Panthers can be difficult to run on. Other than being gashed by the Jags (game 1) and Bills last week, they have only allowed 3.3 yards per rush.
They are a bend/don't break D and are good at preventing big plays.
Attack the middle (again) with quick, up tempo passing and let those shots replace run game. Keep the 3 RBs as targets with Kraft and Doubs.
If that attack is effective, The backend will open up for big play missiles...and/or the run blocking will finally create some run lanes up front.
Kraft is going to be fun to watch from the stands.
Pack88
November 01, 2025 at 11:34 am
I loved Tucker Kraft in college and was so happy GB drafted him even though Musgrave was picked a round before. His being a small town guy makes him an excellent fit and his style reminds me of a very fast Chruma.
As to usage it is way better to think if him as a break glass when needed and not WR1 b/c this is a long season and he is a key part of the blocking plans for the offense. We have a few games comin up where he could be a big part of the offense (Phila, DEnver and Detroit) but keep some tread on the tires for the post season.
NFLfan
November 01, 2025 at 01:10 pm
Tucker has character which makes him more than a 'me' guy-he's also a team guy. I see this trait in Jacobs, Love, & Watson too. Both Watson and Kaft willingly do the 'dirty' work as well as the acclaimed part and Jacobs goes out there when he is clearly sick. Love will do anything (sometimes to his detriment) to serve the team. Cooper, Williams and Q Walker are hard workers too.
I'm trying to find a high character guy on the O-Line. Who gives it their all? Tom would be one of them. It's not Rhyan, Walker (?), Jenkins (sometimes), Banks (often injured), Morgan is a rookie (won't judge). I don't see a Kraft equivalent.
Tundraboy
November 01, 2025 at 09:35 pm
Who doesn't love Culvers?
gsd3
November 02, 2025 at 06:45 am
Extend him now. Price is only going to go up.