Latest news with #TuckerKraft
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jordan Love Taps Emerging Packers Weapon For Major 2025 Role
Jordan Love Taps Emerging Packers Weapon For Major 2025 Role originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Green Bay Packers ranked as a top-10 offense last year in EPA per play, per pass, and rush, even though Jordan Love dealt with knee and groin injuries. Additionally, the receivers struggled to get open against man coverage and hold onto the ball, which did not help either. Still, the entire group needs to improve significantly if the Packers want a real shot at competing for a Super Bowl in 2025. Advertisement 'To me all those guys understand, they're competitive. As we've gone through, we have conversations about what we need to improve on,' Packers receiver coach Ryan Mahaffey said this offseason. "Those guys have an understanding that hey, when my number's called, I want to put myself in a position to be able to go out and help my team, they're naturally competitive. They take a lot of ownership in that, and I think we've got an intrinsically motivated group." Green Bay should be hopeful their receiving corps can bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season. Still, the passing game could soon have a new top target, as Jordan Love is eager to get his starting tight end more involved. Green Bay Packers TE Tucker Kraft (85) is tackled by Miami Dolphins LB Tyrel Dodson (11) after a short reception© Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images While speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Love mentioned that Tucker Kraft will be a key focus of the offense moving forward. Advertisement "A big part of going into this season is finding ways to continue getting Tuck the ball. Get him as many touches as we can in a game," Love said, per the Packers Wire's Zach Kruse. "He's a dynamic playmaker. That's going to be a focus." Kraft caught 50 passes for 707 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He played 97% of the snaps in the Packers' 22-10 Wild Card loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, even though it was Luke Musgrave's fourth game back from injury. He was one of the most reliable playmakers in Green Bay's offense in 2024, and his workload should only increase going forward. The Packers have a sense of urgency to compete for a championship in 2025, and for Kraft, that means becoming the best version of himself to help elevate Jordan Love and the rest of the offense. If all goes to plan, he should see plenty of targets and let his talent take care of the rest. Advertisement Related: Former Packers $21 Million Star Named Potential Replacement For Jaire Alexander This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
After excellent 2024 season, how can Packers TE Tucker Kraft improve in 2025?
After excellent 2024 season, how can Packers TE Tucker Kraft improve in 2025? After a slow start to his rookie season back in 2023, Packers tight end Tucker Kraft has gone from strength to strength, becoming a key cog in Green Bay's offense after just two years in the league. Here is what the numbers say about Kraft's specific strengths and weaknesses entering Year 3, as well as the areas he can continue to develop: Strengths Matt LaFleur and the offensive coaching staff in Green Bay have done a great job of weaponizing Kraft by giving him opportunities to get yards after the catch, and he has excelled in this role with his bruising style, refusing to go down or get out of bounds early. Among qualified tight ends, Kraft ranks in the 93rd percentile for yards after the catch per reception (YAC/REC) and the 76th percentile for missed tackles forced per reception since entering the league. Kraft's disregard for his own body with the ball in his hands may give his coaches a heart attack at times, but it is certainly effective. He has made a habit of creating chunk plays, ranking in the 80th percentile for yards per reception (Y/REC), partially due to his ability to squeeze every yard out of each touch. With ten touchdowns in the last two seasons, including seven in 2024, Kraft has made some big plays for the Packers down in the red zone, and ranks in the 78th percentile among tight ends for touchdowns per target. Due to his skill set, Kraft has been used most prominently in the 0-10 yard area of the field, and he has been very valuable there, ranking in the 95th percentile for yards per route run (Y/RR), the 94th for Y/REC and the 96th for YAC/REC. While his teammate Luke Musgrave is more heralded in terms of athleticism, Kraft is an elite athlete in his own right and has been an effective deep threat when given the opportunity. He lands in the 91st percentile for Y/RR and Y/REC deep downfield. Weaknesses For as tough and physical a player as Kraft is, he has not graded out well as a run blocker, at least according to PFF. He falls in just the 27th percentile in run block grade since 2023, although he did improve in 2024. While Kraft has shown he can threaten defenses deep, the Packers are yet to fully explore his potential in that regard. He ranks in the 5th percentile among tight ends in average depth of target (ADOT) in his two seasons so far, due to a large portion of his opportunities coming in near the line of scrimmage on quick passes or checkdowns. It has not done him any harm, as Kraft has made the most of his targets, and the low ADOT is not a knock on Kraft as such, as it is not something he can control, but it will ultimately limit how much he can impact games if he does not become more involved further downfield. Kraft was not targeted enough in the intermediate part of the field to qualify for the rankings. Speaking to the Green Bay media recently, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich admitted the Packers coaches are focusing on ways to get him the ball more, and in different ways, in 2025. For his part, Kraft needs to do a better job when facing man coverage. He has been less effective than against zone, and this is in large part due to him ranking in the 29th percentile for drop rate versus man. Speaking to the media at mandatory minicamp this week, Kraft acknowledged the areas he needs to continue to develop as a receiver. He said: 'One thing I feel like I could've done better was separate in man to man. Most of my game was checkdowns underneath and yards after catch ability, so I'm looking to put it all together." Trending up Kraft became a more central figure in Green Bay's offense last year, and this was reflected in his targets. He went from the 32nd percentile in targets to the 60th between 2023 and 2024, and based on Stenavich's comments, it seems he will only grow more important. His increased involvement was justified, as Kraft was simply a more efficient receiving target in 2024, improving his Y/RR ranking from the 32nd to the 68th percentile. Kraft was better against both man and zone coverage, signifying his overall upward trajectory. He went from the 14th percentile to the 37th percentile in Y/RR against man, and the 11th to the 70th versus zone. Despite his strengths with the ball in his hands, Kraft was not very productive on targets behind the line of scrimmage as a rookie, ranking in the 25th and 3rd percentile for Y/REC and Y/RR respectively, but was much more effective in 2024, improving to the 61st and 50th percentile. Between his rookie and sophomore seasons, he went from a below average player at winning contested catches to an above average one, with his ranking improving from the 42nd percentile to the 53rd. The Packers used Kraft more out of the slot in 2024, after he did not get enough targets to qualify there as a rookie. He performed fairly well from that alignment last year, ranking in the 52nd percentile for Y/RR and the 88th for Y/REC. It is worth remembering the context that all these strides Kraft made in year two came off the back of an offseason in which he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. It was a truly impressive year. Trending down The only aspect in which Kraft arguably declined in Year 2 was his pass blocking, a relatively small part of his overall game. Based on PFF's pass block grades, Kraft regressed from the 71st percentile to the 48th. On the whole, Kraft made huge strides between Year 1 and 2 and was already one of the better tight ends in the league in 2024. Just 24 years old entering year three, Kraft's arrow is pointing up, and his self-awareness about areas for improvement should only help him achieve a higher level of performance. Kraft has a legitimate chance to become one of the best all-around players at his position in the future.
New York Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Packers rookie Matthew Golden has made a shining first impression on Jordan Love
APPLETON, Wis. — Jordan Love wasn't just wrong. 'I was very wrong,' the Packers quarterback says now. Before the Super Bowl earlier this year, Love made a prediction with 'Up and Adams' host Kay Adams on Radio Row in New Orleans. 'Knowing the Green Bay Packers, I think we're gonna go defense,' Love said of the team's upcoming first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Advertisement The Packers didn't use their first-round pick on a defensive player. Instead, they broke the franchise's 22-year streak of not taking a wide receiver in the first round and selected Texas wideout Matthew Golden. 'I'm glad to be wrong,' Love said Friday at his charity softball game in his first comments about Golden since the draft. Jordan Love to @heykayadams on the Packers first-round pick: 'Knowing the Green Bay Packers, I think we're gonna go defense.' — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) February 7, 2025 Golden was one of the marquee names in attendance, along with head coach Matt LaFleur, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Love, tight end Tucker Kraft and backup quarterback Malik Willis. Among players, Golden probably received the second-loudest ovation from the packed house behind his starting quarterback. 'It was a great time just to be able to get in front of the fans, first time showing my face in Green Bay,' Golden said. 'So it was definitely fun and exciting to be here.' Golden's answer when asked why he volunteered to play in Love's charity game shows that the Packers' potential top QB-WR tandem of the future is off to a good start. 'You always gotta be there for your quarterback,' Golden said. Not just on the softball field, but on the football field, too. That's where the Packers will rely on the No. 23 pick to catch the ball as well as he did in college for a Packers team that struggled to do so last season. And to run past defensive backs like his sub-4.3 speed indicates he can. Love and Golden only met in person recently, as veterans and rookies didn't report to Lambeau Field at the same time this offseason, but Love has been impressed with his new flashy weapon so far. 'He's a great dude,' Love said. 'I'm excited to see just his potential on the football field. But just the start we've had, doing routes on air and things like that, he looks like a stud, looks like a very polished receiver, so I'm excited to see just how far he can take it.' First time Jordan Love has discussed Matthew Golden since the draft: 'Just the start we've had … he looks like a stud, looks like a very polished receiver.' — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 24, 2025 LaFleur FaceTimed his starting quarterback the night Green Bay drafted Golden. 'You always want to kind of connect with the quarterback when you give him some pieces, so I Facetimed him and he's like, 'Man, sub-4.3 … I gotta get that arm loose,' ' LaFleur said. 'So he can roll, and I said, 'Hey, man, you're just going to have to get that ball up on time and out early.' ' Advertisement Love said he immediately watched Golden's college highlights, perhaps daydreaming about how he could get Golden the ball in the NFL. 'The speed speaks for itself. Running a 40-yard dash, any time you get a 4.2, that's some blazing speed right there, so I'm excited to see how fast he is on the field,' Love said. 'I've seen all the highlights, all the good stuff, so we'll see once we get practice rolling and everything how good he is.' Matthew Golden: 'Starting to realize Green Bay not too big, so a lot of people gonna recognize me. But it's a blessing just to be able to be around people that care about you … for me it's just being able to show my face and show that I love being here.' — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 24, 2025 The Packers' first full-team OTA practice open to the media is Wednesday. Wide receivers Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks are still on the team and expected to contribute significantly this coming season. But all eyes will be on No. 22 as he catches what fans hope is the first of many passes from Love. That's the territory that comes with being the organization's first wide receiver drafted in the first round since 2002. While Love and Golden aren't best friends just yet, Golden said the two are going to hang out outside of football and get to know each other better. Showing up in support of Love's foundation might just be a small gesture by the rookie, but it's a promising sign that Golden will be ready to deliver when Love needs him on the field, too. 'Just gain his trust, man,' Golden said of developing a relationship with Love. 'That's from me just being able to put my best foot forward every day. Just go out there and create that chemistry with him.' (Photo of Matthew Golden: Jeffrey Phelps / Associated Press)
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jadon Janke signs with Green Bay Packers
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Former SDSU wide receiver Jadon Janke signed with the Green Bay Packers. He is now the third former Jackrabbit to join the Packers along with tight end Tucker Kraft and running back Amar Johnson. Janke played six seasons with the Jacks and was a member of the 2022 and 2023 national championship teams. The Madison native caught 170 passes for 2,800 yards and 30 touchdowns over his career. He tallied a career-best 57 receptions for 946 yards and 10 TDs in 2023. The Packers went 11-6 last season and made the playoffs before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles Wild Card Weekend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
