Packers Draft Tucker Kraft: Dynasty Rookie Outlook (2023 Fantasy Football)

The 2023 NFL Draft is here! After months of waiting, we finally know where the 2023 NFL Draft class will land. This information shapes the outlook for rookies in 2023 and beyond. We’re going to have you covered throughout and following the 2023 NFL Draft to help you prepare for your fantasy football leagues. Next up for many will be dynasty rookie drafts. To help you prepare to make your dynasty rookie draft picks, let’s dive into Thor Nystrom’s 2023 NFL Draft profile as well as Pat Fitzmaurice’s dynasty rookie draft outlook for Tucker Kraft.

Dynasty Rookie Picks & Predictions: Packers Draft Tucker Kraft

Let’s first see what NFL Draft expert Thor Nystrom says about Tucker Kraft.

Thor Nystrom’s 2023 NFL Draft Outlook & Player Comp

Player comparison: Dawson Knox

Injuries hampered Kraft’s 2022 season. He got hurt in the opener against Iowa and didn’t return until Week 8. He only played 84 more career snaps than Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave (albeit in one less active season on campus). But Kraft faces competition questions that Musgrave doesn’t. Not only is Kraft leaping up from the FCS, but we have precious little data on him against high-end competition. In his only full career game against an FBS opponent, Kraft was SDSU’s third-leading receiver by yardage in a 2021 victory over hapless Colorado State.

That’s why we were so excited to see how he’d do against Iowa’s nasty defense in the 2022 opener – but Kraft suffered a high-ankle sprain on the opening drive.

He’s a tremendous athlete. He did the full gamut of tests and was 73rd-percentile-or-higher in all of them – in a large frame. Kraft weighed into the NFL Combine at 254 pounds but could carry 260-plus at the next level.

Kraft moves well on the field. He’s a coiled spring off the snap. When he punches the gas, he can reach top speed quickly. He used his combination of strength and acceleration to earn separation in college. Sometimes to a comical degree – running free after dusting an inferior athlete. Things are going to get trickier in the NFL. Kraft was reportedly offered multiple six-figure NIL deals to transfer up to the FBS but declined them. I would have liked to see him on a Power 5 team next season – up a level; he would have been forced to work on the finer points of his… ahem… kraft.

He’s not a nuanced route-runner. He could be straightforward in that area in the FCS and win anyway because of his physical gifts – that’s not happening at the next level. Between his high-end acceleration and his strong agility, Kraft has the tools for the job. But that’s going to take some work. He also needs to refine his blocking technique. Kraft succeeded in this area in college through effort and physical ability. But he wasn’t punished for his wonky technique at the sub-division level, as will happen in the NFL.

Kraft wins the early advantage through his quickness off the snap and his initial speed-to-power pop when he gets his hands on you. But he doesn’t block under control, particularly when he’s asked to pick off a second-level defender, a lunger who tries to win with a knockout punch when the fight has only just begun. When he learns to keep his skis under him and realizes why it’s problematic not to have a steady base under him in this area, his natural ability will play up, and he’ll achieve consistency. But again, this is theoretical.

Lastly, Kraft’s 10.8% career drop rate will need to drop at the next level. He did cut that to 6.9% during last season’s half-campaign. But it was a trouble-area 9.7% during his breakout 2021 year over more usage.

2023 Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook: Tucker Kraft

The good news: Kraft was a Day 2 draft pick, confirming that he’s a well-regarded TE prospect. The bad news: Kraft wasn’t even the first tight end drafted by the Packers, who selected Luke Musgrave in the second round before taking Kraft in the third.

Kraft probably would have been a top-three tight end in most draft classes. He might slip through the cracks in dynasty rookie drafts because this year’s TE class is so good and because it’s not clear how he’ll divide snaps with Musgrave.

A breakout season in 2021 (65-780-6) put Kraft on NFL teams’ radars, and he remained there even after his final season at South Dakota State was partially derailed by a high-ankle sprain in the Jackrabbits’ 2022 season opener against Iowa.

The 6-5, 254-pound Kraft is agile and athletic. He tested well at the NFL Scouting Combine, and his 4.69 speed shows up on the field. But Kraft needs some technical refinement, and the jump to the NFL could be a daunting one for him after facing a low level of competition at SDSU.