3 underrated moves Green Bay Packers made in 2023 offseason

2. Green Bay Packers doubled up on the tight end position

One of my personal favorite strategies, when an NFL Draft class is deep at one particular position, is for teams to double up at those positions. It obviously has to line up with your positional needs and overall draft capital to do so, but there’s no doubt that this year’s tight end group was deep, and the Green Bay Packers had the right number of draft picks to justify doubling up at the position early on.

In the second round, the Packers grabbed Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave, one of the better dual-threat tight ends in this year’s draft. Musgrave can block, he’s athletic, and he is a reliable target in the passing game.

"Between the abbreviated 2020 season and an injury-shortened 2022 campaign, Musgrave’s snaps have been somewhat limited, but it’s easy to like what he’s put on tape. His route running harkens back to his slalom days with nimble feet and smooth hips helping to generate rhythm and separation in and out of breaks. He needs a little more bulk for combat in the trenches, but he offers what evaluators are looking for in technique, strain and demeanor. Musgrave has starter potential and should gain a coveted slot on draft boards from teams looking to add versatility to their 12 personnel (two tight ends) packages. Lance Zierlein, NFL.com"

In the third round, the Packers took advantage of a really good prospect falling into their laps when they doubled up on the tight end position by drafting South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft. Kraft was projected at times last year as a possible first-round player, but he suffered an injury early in the season against Iowa and that contributed to derailing his draft stock a little bit.

I think with the combination of Musgrave and Kraft, the Packers are going to be immediately able to effectively run 12 personnel sets and get both of these guys involved in the passing game. We know the Packers will want to run the ball a ton with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, and these two players are going to help them do exactly that.

They’re also going to be very valuable safety valves for Jordan Love as he gets acclimated to being the full-time starter. The Packers took advantage of this year’s tight end class better than pretty much any other team, not just because they got two of them, but because of the two they got. I think Musgrave and Kraft fit perfectly for this roster.