The Green Bay Packers had a limited war chest of assets for the 2026 NFL Draft. And even though they didn't have many major needs, watching the rest of the league wheel and deal all weekend long was a bit frustrating for the fan base.
That said, GM Brian Gutekunst still managed to add six developmental pieces for Matt LaFleur's team, with some having a clearer path to the field than others. What he didn't do, however, was select any of the 21 tight ends who entered the league in the three-day event, despite the serious knee injury Tucker Kraft suffered last season.
The Packers also didn't add any other tight end in free agency, and that should be music to Kraft's ears. Now that the draft has come and gone, there shouldn't be any doubts about his future in America's dairyland.
Tucker Kraft Can Already Taste His Contract Extension
From a football perspective, there was absolutely no reason to believe the Packers would be even slightly interested in moving on from Kraft. He's arguably Jordan Love's favorite and most reliable target, and he was in the midst of an All-Pro-caliber campaign before his season-ending injury.
From the business side of football, however, there was a case to be made. He's coming off a major injury and is on the cusp of entering the final year of his rookie contract. An extension should've been an easy decision before that, but the Packers could've erred on the side of caution with Kraft, after such an unfortunate turn of events.
Also, with Detroit Lions star Sam LaPorta due for an extension, and likely to reset the tight end market, the Packers could've tried to acquire a younger player on a cost-controlled deal. That wasn't the case, however.
Not taking a tight end makes sense. Green Bay had limited resources, and when healthy, Kraft has proven that he can be the best YAC guy at the position in the game. Also, it's not like he has a history of injuries or has been a bad teammate. He's a poster boy for what it means to be a Packer, and they have every reason to want to keep him.
Still, executives don't make emotional decisions when running a football team, and Gutekunst can be pretty cold when he wants to. Kraft now truly knows how the team feels about him, and this hints at a very lucrative contract extension on the horizon.
In just eight appearances (all starts), Kraft finished the season with 32 receptions on 44 targets for 489 yards and a team-high-tying six touchdowns. Notably, 28 of his 32 catches went for either a first down or a score, and that's the type of chain-moving threat you want on the field at all times.
Fortunately, coming out of draft weekend it seems more clean than ever that Kraft is not going anywhere.
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