Tucker Kraft was taking the NFL world by storm until a torn right ACL last November derailed him. The Green Bay Packers star's rise was meteoric, and he looked to be on his way to entering elite company — or so we thought.
Oh, how quickly many have forgotten about Kraft's ascension. Recency bias has seemingly skewed his public perception for the worse. He came in at No. 6 on ESPN's 2026 tight end rankings, "as voted by league scouts, executives and coaches."
What more must we see from Kraft? He was quite literally being tabbed as the best tight end in football at the time of his unfortunate setback.
Packers' Tucker Kraft remains one of the most overlooked stars in the NFL
Anyone can sit here and declare that Kraft deserves to be higher. We need to mention who he deserves to be ahead of for a take like this to have merit. So, for argument's sake, let's vault him to fourth on the list, ahead of the Indianapolis Colts' Tyler Warren and the Detroit Lions' Sam LaPorta.
2025 was a true breakout campaign for Kraft, albeit cut way too short. The 2023 third-round pick was well on his way to clearing 1,000 receiving yards and has proven to be a difference-maker across the board. Whether it's dominating as a pass-catcher, helping out in protection or leading by example in the locker room, he does everything incredibly well.
The crazy part is that Kraft was merely getting started and may even have another gear to hit, as one unnamed source highlighted:
"His speed and [run-after-catch] ability really stand out," an NFC exec said, via ESPN. "He was just scratching the surface before the injury. And he's a high-level blocker."
If longevity, or lack thereof, is ostensibly a knock against Kraft, the same logic should apply to Warren (and the rest of the field). The latter has an even smaller sample size of excellence, prospering early as a rookie before cooling off tremendously down the stretch this past year.
Frankly, LaPorta is more of a debate. He's a well-rounded contributor with a track record of success; the NFC North rival has an All-Pro Second Team nod to his name. The Lions have never leaned on him as the focal point of their passing attack like the Packers have with Kraft, though.
In fairness, there are only so many targets to go around. It's not LaPorta's fault Detroit happens to boast one of the league's best wide receiver duos in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Electrifying dual-threat running back Jahmyr Gibbs is also arguably the most dangerous receiver out of the backfield.
However, a crowded supporting cast didn't prevent Kraft from emerging as the top dog in Green Bay. The club's litany of wideouts and run-first approach hasn't stopped him from reaching lofty heights. He's shown a ceiling that only a few guys at his position have.
For what it's worth, Kraft appears to be someone who's fueled by doubt and loves the grind. He's made it clear that the goal is to be "bulletproof" moving forward and come back even stronger.
"I'm not really buying into the 'people come back off an injury and they're not the same [narrative]," Kraft told reporters back in June. "If you're not coming back off your injury the same, then what are you doing? Like, what were you doing your entire rehab?"
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