National Tight Ends Day is this Sunday, just in time for the Green Bay Packers to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, which might employ the deepest tight end group in the entire NFL. But Green Bay has its own strength at the position in Tucker Kraft.
Kraft is teetering on a breakout season. His 23 receptions for 326 yards and four scores in six games is nearly half of his production across his 2024 campaign. He's also sixth among tight ends in yards, second in yards per reception, and tied for the third most touchdowns at the position.
To bring that potential breakout into full view of the league, there's no better opportunity to unleash Kraft than in primetime on the biggest night of the year for his position.
Packers have every reason to make Tucker Kraft the centerpiece on Sunday night
There is one aspect that stands in the way of Kraft producing a huge game on National Tight Ends Day. The first is simply the fact that head coach Matt LaFleur ensures that Jordan Love spreads out his targets. Five players on the roster have 20 or more targets, though Kraft is second on the team in targets, just four behind Romeo Doubs.
That said, the Packers have plenty of reason to give Kraft some extra attention on Sunday night. The Steelers carry the third-worst defense against tight ends this season, using fantasy production as the sticking point. Pittsburgh has allowed tight ends to rack up 403 yards and four scores on just 36 receptions, allowing an average of 13.8 standard fantasy points to the position.
For reference, since Green Bay also struggles against tight ends, the Packers have the second-worst mark in that territory at 15.8 points per game.
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Back to Pittsburgh, it's not as though the Steelers, unlike the Packers, have played the best tight ends in the NFL. T.J. Hockenson, Hunter Henry, and David Njoku are the most notable tight ends they've faced, and only Henry really tore them up.
In Week 3, the Steelers allowed Henry to rack up eight catches for 90 yards and two scores on 11 targets. For what it's worth, Kraft's season is relatively on par with Henry's heading into Week 8. Henry has one more catch and first down, while Kraft has 16 more yards and one more touchdown.
Last week, Kraft got 10 targets, a season-high through the young season. Still, he only turned in his second-best stat line — his seven-catch, 124-yard performance against Washington standing as his best to date.
Green Bay may not need to target him 10 times, but ensuring that he is heavily involved will no doubt boost the Packers' chances of victory. It would also ensure that their top tight end continues to grow into a star on National Tight Ends Day.