Packers: Predicting tight end depth chart in 2020 season

Green Bay Packers, Jace Sternberger (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Green Bay Packers, Jace Sternberger (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Predicting the Packers’ Week 1 tight end depth chart.

Tight end has been an issue for the Green Bay Packers for years.

The Packers have tried to fix the position primarily through free agency, signing Jared Cook, Martellus Bennett, Lance Kendricks, and Jimmy Graham. None of those four players are still on the roster, and they are instead hoping draft picks will be the answer.

But how could the depth chart at TE look in Week 1?

Packers TE depth chart predictions

  1. Jace Sternberger
  2. Marcedes Lewis
  3. Robert Tonyan
  4. Josiah Deguara

The Packers need Jace Sternberger to be their long-term answer at tight end. They invested a third-round pick on him a year ago. He enters a huge 2020 season. While he did miss half of last season due to injury, the experience will help him as he enters year two.

Sternberger might be the Packers’ top breakout candidate in 2020. Larry McCarren of Packers.com explained why Sternberger has “the right stuff” earlier this offseason, and in the video, he showed examples of Sternberger’s work as a blocker and also working to get open as Aaron Rodgers scrambled to his right.

Sternberger was highly-rated coming out of college but it would be unfair to make any judgments on his play at the NFL level based on his rookie year, especially when factoring in the time he missed with injury.

Green Bay didn’t sign a free-agent tight end and also moved on from Jimmy Graham. Sternberger needs to be the answer, but he absolutely can be.

Marcedes Lewis will likely be on the field a lot, too, primarily as a blocker. Expect to see more two-TE sets with Green Bay wanting to run the football. He plays a crucial role in Matt LaFleur’s offense.

Robert Tonyan needs to turn potential into production this season as a pass-catcher. Staying healthy is also key.

The biggest X-Factor is rookie Josiah Deguara. While first-year tight ends rarely put up big numbers, he’s going to line up in different positions for this offense. Whether he’s a fullback or out wide as a pass-catcher, I’m fascinated to see how LaFleur uses him and how many snaps he gets as a rookie.

Outside of Lewis, this is an inexperienced, unproved tight end group. But also one with lots of potential.