The Packers’ offense has already shown its flaws, and Tucker Kraft is the kind of player who can help cover them up - if Green Bay actually leans on him.
That was not the case in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. Kraft finished with two catches on three targets for 15 receiving yards, a quiet line that could easily stand as his least productive outing of the season.
Even with the caveat that he contributes in plenty of ways beyond the stat sheet, the Packers need more from him in the passing game. Matt LaFleur has to make that a priority.
Kraft did open the season with a strong Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, when he caught three of six targets for 65 yards. But with a run game that has been stuck in neutral and a receiver group leaning heavily on Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, Green Bay needs another reliable piece to keep the offense moving. Kraft fits that role.
Jordan Love’s numbers against the Jets tell part of the story. He completed just 16 passes for 145 yards, and the weather and New York’s pass rush helped squeeze the Packers in every phase. Even so, LaFleur can’t expect much success this season if Kraft is only seeing three targets.
The recent usage trend backs that up. Kraft’s 15 receiving yards were his fewest since November 2024, a span of 17 games, and his two catches tied his low over that stretch. Over his last 13 games, he has been targeted less often only once.
The encouraging part for Green Bay is that this should not be a hard fix. Kraft looked productive in Week 1 and has the kind of profile that can keep him in the same conversation as Arizona’s Trey McBride and the Raiders’ Brock Bowers.
That was the level he was playing at before his season-ending knee injury last year. The Packers invested in him, and now they need to use him.
There is also the question of how much he is being asked to do in the blocking game. His knee does not appear to be an issue, but the workload could still be shaped by the team’s offensive line situation. The line was already thin, and the injuries are adding up.
With right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele out for the season and the interior still unsettled, LaFleur may turn to Kraft more often to help spring runs on toss and stretch concepts. At the same time, the shaky rushing attack and shaky protection could push him into an even bigger role as a receiver.
That is where Kraft can really change things. He is not a running back, but he is strong, hard to bring down, and capable of turning a short throw into a meaningful gain.
If Love is forced to get rid of the ball quicker than he wants, Kraft should be one of the first options. He already has 32 yards after the catch, which accounts for 40 percent of his total production.
In Other News...
Packers May Have Found Pass Rush Help At The Perfect Time
Rookie edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton is already making the kind of first impression that can matter for a defense looking for answers. In a recent game against the New York Jets, he finished with six tackles, half a sack and two quarterback hits, and his work in pressuring the quarterback showed up beyond the box score. Through two games, he has also climbed to 15th among edge defenders in pass-rush win rate, a notable early mark for a player taken 120th in the draft.
For a Packers front that can always use another reliable source of heat off the edge, that kind of start stands out even more because it has come from a late pick outplaying several rookies selected before him. Early production is one thing, but the bigger question is whether Dennis-Sutton can keep forcing his way into the pass-rush conversation as the competition gets stiffer and the league gets more of a book on him. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have A Huge NFC North Opening Before Chicago
The Packers win over the Jets gave them a little breathing room, but the bigger picture in the NFC North still looks unsettled as they head into matchups with the Falcons and Buccaneers. Injuries have thinned out key spots around the division, and that has kept the race from taking shape the way it usually does this time of year. Green Bay has dealt with its own health concerns, but the door is still open for a team that can stay upright and take advantage of the chaos.
Chicago looms next, and that game could end up carrying extra weight if the division keeps wobbling. The Bears, Vikings and Lions are all dealing with issues of their own, which makes every week feel a little more consequential than usual for the Packers. Even before the matchup with Chicago arrives, Green Bay has a chance to keep stacking wins and put itself in position to make the most of an NFC North that has yet to settle into place. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Face A Receiver Problem Bigger Than Week 3
Jayden Reeds injury quickly became the kind of scare that lingers well beyond one Sunday, because the Packers are now waiting on what tests in Green Bay will say after he was taken off the field on a stretcher against the Jets. Matt LaFleur said the receiver is back home for evaluation, and while it is still too early to pin down a recovery timeline, the immediate outlook already points to Reed missing Week 3 against the Falcons.
For a Green Bay offense that has leaned on Reeds presence, the bigger concern is how long this absence could last and what it means for a receiver room trying to keep its footing. The Packers can manage one game without him, but the uncertainty around a neck injury has a way of changing the conversation fast, especially when the next step is no longer about one matchup but about how the team will cover for him if the tests lead to a longer pause. [Read more 🡒]