Meet the Packers’ Tucker Kraft, the next wing of the NFL star: ‘He is one of the best’

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Green Bay, Wis. – There are not many struggles of Tucker Kraft for doing within the walls of 1265 Lombardi Ave. these days.

Well, maybe there is one thing.

The new defensive wing of the Packers, Micah Parsons, was asked about his first impressions to play with Kraft after the 27-18 victory on Thursday night over the commanders. He mentioned nothing about football in his first response, even after the third-year closed wing tied in a maximum of his career with six trapped, established a race with 124 reception yards and caught his second TouchDown in as many weeks as the Packers improved 2-0.

“Tuck, brother, ask him,” Parsons began. “I am 2-0 against him in Ping Pong. He wants to challenge me. He is not ready, man.”

Kraft had finished his night responsibilities at the other end of the locker room. He got into a garbage boat, a sharp blade in his hand while cutting the adhesive tape of his wrists. The 24 -year -old had many reasons to smile after his career night, so it was time to tear his frown.

I told him Parsons wanted a question transmitted to him. Are you really 0-2 against him? Kraft smiled widely, nothing was cleaning him tonight, confirming his record without victories against the best paid quarterback in the NFL history. Although he had a return.

“Micah brings its own shovel to work!” Kraft shouted all the costumes to listen.

Parsons, sitting on his locker, was caught with his hands in the dough.

“Aww, man! Don’t let the secrets out!” Parsons cried. “Palets only cost $ 50!”

It is possible that Kraft is not good in Ping Pong, but surely it is good in football.

Written in the third round in 2023 outside the state of South FCS, Kraft reached the second violin of Green Bay to the second round of the team that year that year, the closed wing of the state of Oregon, Luke Musgrave. Due to the multiple long -term injuries of Musgrave and Kraft’s own explosion, it has become a promotion star that seeks to build a 2024 campaign. After performing to a national audience on Thursday as a cornerstone of one of the best NFL teams, it may be time to drop the “increase” and simply call Kraft a star with potential to be among the elite of the league in the position.

“I have been shouting his name since last year, man,” said Corridor Josh Jacobs, as if he were putting him in the faces of those who are only jumping aboard the bomb train that Jacobs enters the shotgun.

Jacobs said earlier this week, to a question about Kraft, that the boys must be “a little turned off” to play certain positions. In an appearance in the podcast of the former Packers corridor, Aj Dillon, last year, Kraft said that he sometimes tells the opponents while speaking garbage to burn his childhood houses.

Kraft can be a little wild card, but he is the wildcard of the Packers and love him. So much so that the teammates voted for Kraft one of the three captains of the offensive of the season this year (the Packers chosen captains of the whole season for the first time since 2022). Among the seven total captains appointed: Field Marshal Jordan Love, Jacobs, Kraft, the defensive wing Rashaan Gary, the supporter Quay Walker, the security Xavier McKinney and the supporter Isaiah McDuffie for special equipment – Kraft is the youngest and least experienced in the NFL.

Not only is it an integral part of what Packers do in the field, but it is also a pillar of the team.

“That was quite special,” Kraft said about being named Captain. “It is something that was not necessarily surprised (by) … I breathe the standard that I carry with me in everything I do. As I said before, the early morning, the late afternoons here, trying to be that smile for the boys who do not know what they are doing, they are not sure of their state in the living room. No matter who it is, I come here and only try to recover and a job takes me four hours You carry and how your teammates respond to you. “

And chief coach Matt Lafleur: “I can’t say enough things about Tuck and only the growth we have seen from the moment he has come here. But it is not only in the football field. It is every facet of life, I would say, and he is a true leader for us.”

That success came in several different ways for Kraft against the commanders in a second convincing consecutive victory against one of the best teams in the conference.

Example No. 1: With Kraft and Musgrave aligned in the ball in the middle of the first quarter in a second and 6 of the 23 -yard line of Green Bay, Kraft listened to the defense of the commanders that identifies the Packers in a YY set (essentially two and two alos blocking for a play). Kraft knew that the Packers were passing the ball and knew that the commanders were anticipating a launch. The result? Kraft was wide open for the seam for 57 yards with the Bobby Wagner supporter pointing to someone to cover Kraft while passing. The Packers took an advantage of 7-0 four plays later.

“We simply made them communicated badly and we could stir them,” Kraft said.

Example No. 2: Kraft caught a pass on the floor in the second and 11 from the 24 -yard line of Washington in the second quarter. Kraft promised last year never let a rear defense approach him in space. Well, he found the safety of Will Harris around the 20 -yard line in space and threw it aside as a rag doll before continuing with a gain of 17 yards. That is a man of his word. Two Jacobs run later, the Packers led 14-0.

“Man,” said the open receptor Romeo Doubs. “He threw that boy from him.”

Example n. ° 3: In the third and 6 of the 45 yardas line of Washington at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Kraft received an illegal contact penalty in Harris, said he was receiving the entire route, and even fell into the middle of the play. He fixed them to go back to the ball near the right side line and ensure an end of 8 yards of love to turn the first down. Kraft mentioned that work due to his athletics when asked which of his many stood out. Then five plays later …

Example No. 4: The Packers offensive was colliding and needed a knockout stroke 17-10 with approximately nine minutes in the game when Love presented a shotgun click in the first and 10 from the 8-yard line of Washington. Jacobs aligned with the right of Love and pretended a transfer. Kraft promised the supporter Frankie Luvu to block a race play before liberating the annotation zone. Love found him easily.

“You want the security that you have in the man’s coverage, the player who stretches over you, wants everyone to feel like ‘Ok, yes, this is a career'”, said Kraft. “And then obviously leaving. But I have had many of those opportunities since the year of rookie, year 2 so far, where you have to attack that player and then reach the floor or any complementary pass that we are working on. But at first you have to configure everything, you have to be aggressive.”

Who needs a true open receiver No. 1 when it has a true closed wing No. 1 capable of publishing similar numbers? That is exactly what Kraft is, and showed on Thursday why it could be more than a centerpiece for the Packers. As the tastes of Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Mark Andrews approach the back-end of their races, there is no reason for Kraft to unite Brock Bowers, Trey McBride and others in the next harvest of closed ends.

It seems that your teammates agree.

“I’m angry here, I don’t take it to fantasy,” Parsons said. “That is the type of s – t that I am talking about, but he is playing excellent, brother … I think he will surely have a year of break.”

Gary sounded insulted when asked if Kraft can be one of the best closed wings of the NFL.

“Isn’t it?” Gary replied. “In my eyes, I feel that he is. I tell him that he is the best in the League. I don’t care what he is talking about to anyone else. As long as I have that mentality and keep playing how he is playing, heaven is the limit for him in this offensive.”

McKinney left no doubt by classifying Kraft’s position.

“I think it’s one of the best we have in this league,” said the current first All-Pro team. “Today’s game showed it, but he does this, for me, in every game … he can go out and can play as a receiver. He blocks his butt. It really is nothing that does not really do. It’s good. It is a closed wing.”

Then, perhaps he has not established himself as a first ping-pong player, but Kraft has done it in his daily work. And it doesn’t plan to stop smoking soon.

Those who look at the Packers saw it routinely last year. His teammates have seen him every day. And on Thursday, a National Court saw why the child not far from the FCS competition is an integral reason why Packers could have an opportunity this season to take the Lombardi trophy home.

(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)