Packers rookie TE Luke Musgrave sees ample snaps with starting offense

The Green Bay Packers do not have the luxury of slowly bringing rookie Luke Musgrave along this season, given the makeup of the tight end room. In all likelihood, he is going to be relied upon somewhat heavily, and we saw that already during offseason programs.

In the five practice sessions over the last month that were open to the media, the Packers ran multiple 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 team drills. More often than not, Musgrave was out on the field with starting offense that included Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Aaron Jones. There were also instances where Josiah Deguara was the starting tight end, depending on the personnel that Green Bay was utilizing.

Following one OTA practice, Matt LaFleur said that Musgrave was just “different” from other tight ends that the Packers have had on their roster in previous years. LaFleur was primarily referencing Musgrave’s size and speed but also recognized him for his intelligence and often not making the same mistake twice. When Jordan Love met with reporters following Wednesday’s minicamp practice, he had similar comments about the rookie.

"“First impression of Luke, he’s going to be a great player,” Love said Wednesday via Packers Wire. “He’s a lot faster than anybody thought, on tape just watching him. He’s picking up the offense really fast, he’s getting a lot of reps right now, which is great for him. He’s making the most of it. Learning every day, not making the same mistake twice. And he’s catching the ball really well right now, he’s making plays.”"

That speed Musgrave possesses can be game-changing for the Packers’ offense. Although Green Bay had reliable pass-catching options at tight end last season in Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis, they lacked playmaking at the position. Tonyan averaged under 9.0 yards per catch, which ranked in the bottom 25% of all tight ends, according to PFF, while Lewis was primarily a blocker.

Having this element down the seam or on deep crossers can, obviously, give this offense more big-play potential, but there are also created opportunities that Musgrave’s presence can have for other members of this Packers offense through the attention that he draws and the spacing he creates.

Musgrave’s ability to pick up the offense quickly will also help him battle history, which says that very rarely do rookie tight ends make a significant impact. On several occasions this offseason, LaFleur has mentioned that outside of quarterback, tight end is the most difficult position to transition to from college, given all the responsibilities that come with it.

Tight ends are expected to move around the formation and run routes like receivers while also knowing blocking assignments and techniques like tackles, and do so in both the running and passing games. Although Musgrave’s speed and ability to make plays in the passing game garners much of the attention, he is also going to have to hold up as a blocker. Any potential success that this young offense is going to have in the passing game this season begins with having a run game to lean on, not to mention that Musgrave’s ability to impact both facets could really open up the playbook for LaFleur.

The learning curve for tight ends is certainly steep, but the Packers seem prepared to weather that storm with Musgrave, feeding him as many first-team reps as they could through OTAs and minicamp. This approach is partly out of necessity with the current state of the tight end room but also because of the playmaking he brings to this offense.