Tucker Kraft has already shown enough to make people rethink where they’re placing him among NFL tight ends.
That’s the strange part here: before the torn right ACL last November, Kraft was climbing so fast that he looked like he was forcing his way into elite territory. Now, after the injury, he’s slid to No. 6 in ESPN’s 2026 tight end rankings, which were voted on by league scouts, executives and coaches. That drop says more about how quickly people move on than it does about what Kraft had actually built.
The case for him remains pretty simple. In 2025, Kraft was in the middle of a true breakout season before it got cut short.
The 2023 third-round pick was on pace to top 1,000 receiving yards, and he was doing more than just catching passes. He was helping in protection, setting the tone in the locker room and looking like a player who could handle just about anything Green Bay asked of him.
One NFC executive told ESPN that the best may still be ahead of him: "His speed and [run-after-catch] ability really stand out," an NFC exec said, via ESPN. "He was just scratching the surface before the injury. And he's a high-level blocker."
If the argument against Kraft is that he hasn’t done it long enough, that same standard should hit the rest of the group too. Tyler Warren, who came in ahead of him in the rankings discussion, has an even smaller body of work. He flashed early as a rookie, then faded badly late in the season.
Sam LaPorta is a tougher comparison. He’s proven himself and has an All-Pro Second Team selection on his résumé.
But Detroit has never had to lean on him the way Green Bay has leaned on Kraft, and that matters. The Lions have Amon-Ra St.
Brown and Jameson Williams at receiver, plus Jahmyr Gibbs, who is arguably the most dangerous receiving back in the league.
Kraft didn’t have that kind of luxury in Green Bay, and it still didn’t stop him from becoming the top option at his position on the team. The Packers’ receiver depth and run-heavy approach never kept him from rising. He still found a way to hit a level that only a few tight ends can reach.
And if there’s one thing that stands out about Kraft beyond the production, it’s the way he seems wired. He looks like a player who feeds off being doubted, and he’s made it clear he wants to come back "bulletproof" and even better than before.
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