Musgrave Showing He’s ‘Different’

Rookie tight end Luke Musgrave’s tantalizing skill-set was on display at Green Bay Packers OTAs on Wednesday.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Jun 1, 2023 2:28 PM EDT

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GREEN BAY, Wis. – In Matt LaFleur’s first four seasons as Green Bay Packers coach, Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis were the team’s primary tight ends.

Luke Musgrave is different.

“He is different,” LaFleur agreed after Wednesday’s OTA.

At 6-foot-6 and with 4.61 speed in the 40, Musgrave’s physical skill-set is obvious to anyone with a couple half-functioning eyeballs. The size is real. The speed is real.

Will the player be real?

It’s really early – the team is about two months from having its first full-pads practice – but the second-round pick from Oregon State looks like he could be an instant-impact, difference-making contributor.

“He does have an elite trait that he can flat fly and he’s a big, long target,” LaFleur said. “We’re really excited about him and the progress that he’s made up to this point and we’ve got to continue to push him.”

With Tonyan in Chicago, Lewis unsigned and fellow rookie Tucker Kraft out with an undisclosed injury, it was Musgrave who became the first member of the team’s 2023 NFL Draft class to earn some first-team reps.

During a 2-minute drill, Jordan Love connected with him twice. Earlier in practice, Musgrave ran a crossing route, made a nice catch of a wounded duck and took off upfield for an explosive gain.

With the speed to get deep and the athleticism to make things happen after the catch, Musgrave, again, is different. That was evident during a routes-on-air period. Musgrave looked like a receiver tracking down a 50-yard pass. He just looks so much more talented than Packers tight ends past and present.

“I think I have some really good, God-given abilities, and I’m excited to work every day to reach those abilities at the Packers,” Musgrave said upon being drafted.

In four seasons at Oregon State, Musgrave caught only 47 passes. Last year should have been the breakout year, with 11 catches for 169 yards to open the season against Fresno State and Boise State, but an MCL injury required season-ending surgery. He was back for the Senior Bowl, though, where he reminded scouts of his athleticism and talent.

“He didn’t have the most productive college career but we really liked the skill-set,” Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan said during the draft. “Watching that kid move around, watching him block, watching him run routes, we feel like there’s a ton of upside.

“We feel like where he is now and where he can go is exciting. There’s a lot of growth to be had there and think he’s going to come in and help us right away and think he will only grow and get better as time evolves.”

The offseason will conclude with one practice on Friday, three more OTAs next week and the three-day minicamp the following week. The coaches will see what he can handle in setting the table for the start of training camp in late July.

Tight end is a mentally and physically demanding position, which is why so few make a dramatic impact as rookies.

Maybe Musgrave will be the exception. That, also, would be different.

“I think any time with these young guys, you’re going to try and throw as much at them as possible this time of the year,” LaFleur said when asked if he’d force-feed Musgrave to see what he can handle. “It kind of gives you a gauge in terms of when we go into training camp how much and how fast do we want to install whatever it is that we’re installing.

“But he’s a really, really intelligent player. I think every time he goes out there, if he makes a mistake, he hasn’t made many of the same mistakes twice because he’s super into it. (He’s) very deliberate about his work, invested and he continues to show progress every day.”