21 Days Until Training Camp: Rookie Tight End History

With 21 days until the start of Packers training camp, here's a look at the 21 tight ends to play as drafted rookies in Packers history.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – When the Green Bay Packers step on the practice field for the first time of their 2023 training camp in 21 days, the progress of rookie tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft will be one of the major story lines.

Without the veteran tandem of Robert Tonyan, who signed with the Chicago Bears, and Marcedes Lewis, who remains unsigned, the Packers have precious little experience at the position. Only two players – 2020 draft picks Josiah Deguara (39) and Tyler Davis (eight) – have caught passes, let alone played in a game.

It’s well-established that rookie tight ends struggle to make sudden impact. But sudden impact is exactly what is needed if the Jordan Love-led offense is going to be successful.

According to Stathead, Musgrave and Kraft are the 35th and 36th tight ends drafted by the Packers in franchise history. (The game has changed over the decades, as have the positions. The first tight end to be drafted by the Packers was Joe Ethridge in 1949.)

From that group, only 21 played in at least one game as a rookie.

The most productive rookie tight end in Packers history was Bubba Franks. A first-round pick in 2000, Franks caught 34 passes for 363 yards and one touchdown in Year 1.

Only five rookie tight ends reached double-digits receptions as rookies: Franks, Andrew Quarless (21), Richard Rodgers (20), David Martin (13) and Jackie Harris (12).

Only six broke 100 yards as a rookie: Franks, Quarless (238), Rodgers (225), Harris (157), Martin (144) and Marv Fleming (132).

Almost unbelievably, the drafted tight ends combined for 11 touchdowns. Rodgers, Fleming and Rich McGeorge led the way with two apiece.

The median rookie tight end was Deguara. Due to a torn ACL that limited his rookie season to just a couple games, he caught one pass for 12 yards and zero touchdowns. Fourteen of the 21 caught three or fewer passes; 12 of the 21 failed to reach even 15 yards.

Green Bay’s rookie history might be a big extreme, but it is emblematic of the challenges of playing a position that’s really more than a single position.

“One of the things we talk about all the time, the best part about playing tight end is you get to do everything on the field besides throw the ball,” tight ends coach John Dunn said before the start of OTAs. “The hardest part about playing tight end is you have to do everything on the field. There’s no substitute for doing.”

Looking at the bigger, league-wide picture, during the decade of drafts from 2013 through 2022, 45 tight ends were selected in the second round (like Musgrave) or third round (like Kraft). Their rookie production ranged from Pat Freiermuth’s 60 receptions for the Steelers in 2021 to Jace Sternberger’s zero receptions for the Packers in 2019. While 10 players caught at least 30 passes, 15 caught less than five.

For the totality of their careers, six players were selected to at least one Pro Bowl, led by Travis Kelce’s eight and three apiece for Mark Andrews and Zach Ertz. Five players, on the other hand, caught less than five passes in his career.

Success won’t be given to Musgrave and Kraft. It will have to be earned. The process will begin when training camp starts in three weeks.

“We can teach them, they’re in the classroom, they do a great job learning, they’re smart guys, but what we’re going through now and what we’ll go through in training camp is the ultimate teacher,” Dunn said.

“They have to get out there and they have to do it. They have to do it under pressure. They have to do it full speed. There’s going to be mistakes, right? A lot of learning is through failure, so there’s no substitute for that. … I wish there was that magic accelerator.”

Countdown to Packers Training Camp

A couple of Fourth of July-themed #Packers stories hat I hope are worth your time.

Eight most explosive players in team history. A challenging list that I slanted toward big plays.https://t.co/LgZMamCxUa

Second, these players must provide fireworks.https://t.co/seUPCQ55kJ

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 5, 2023

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The #Packers the previous six seasons: Zero kickoff returns of 50-plus yards.https://t.co/om45pG3YoT

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) June 28, 2023

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