The Green Bay Packers offense is loaded with young talent at the skill positions. Last year, the tight end position was completely overhauled with rookies Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft becoming the top two players on the depth chart. Due to injuries and the way the season played out we rarely saw both rookies on the field at the same time in 2023. Now, both players are back for their second NFL seasons, but we still don’t know how head coach Matt LaFleur will use the duo when both are healthy and available.

Last season, Musgrave claimed the starting job in training camp. He was the team’s second-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Oregon State product got off to a quick start to the season. He caught 33 passes for 341 yards in the first 10 games of the season before suffering a lacerated kidney in the Packers win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11. He did not return until the season finale against the Bears.

The injury to Musgrave gave Tucker Kraft a big opportunity to take on a bigger role in the offense. He didn’t see many targets before that. In the first nine games, he caught only three passes on five targets for 11 yards.

But after Musgrave’s injury, Kraft found his place in the offense. In the final eight games of the season, Kraft caught 28 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns.

The two tight ends have different skill sets. Musgrave has the speed to get down field and make big plays. He can stretch out defenses and gain yardage in chunks. At 6’6” and 253 pounds, he is too quick for most linebackers to cover effectively while his size creates a different kind of mismatch for most safeties or corners.

Kraft on the other hand, excels at running after the catch with the football. The former South Dakota State star can take a short pass and turn it into a longer gain with his elusiveness in the open field.

On many occasions in the second half of the season, Jordan Love used Kraft as a check down receiver when his downfield options were covered, or he was facing a fierce pass rush. The result was usually a short to moderate gain that kept the chains moving rather than a sack or an incomplete pass. This helped keep drives alive and give the Packers offense momentum.

Now, for the first time, both tight ends are healthy and know the playbook well enough to be full participants in the offense. The question becomes, how will LaFleur utilize Musgrave and Kraft in the offense?

Will we see some two-tight end formations that could create some unusual mismatches for opposing defenses? LaFleur has historically liked using his tight ends in the offense and now may be his best chance to effectively use a diverse and dynamic pair of players on a regular basis.

Of course, the team is also loaded with talented wide receivers who all want to be thrown the football. Throwing to Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks can also create great opportunities for the offense.

Will there be enough passes to keep everyone happy in this offense in 2024? The Packers could just as easily put four wide receivers on the field or two running backs in order to create the mismatches the team wants on any given play.

What is most likely is that LaFleur will adjust his formations for receivers and tight ends to take advantage of the weakness of the current week’s opponent. For some games, that may mean we see more of Musgrave, for others more of Kraft. Against different opponents, we may see more two-tight end formations and in others next to none.

Having all these weapons gives LaFleur and Love more ways to beat a defense and move the football downfield. The potential is there for this to be an explosive unit. Now, it’s up to the players to maximize that potential.