The Green Bay Packers lost one of their most important players in Week 9.
Tight end Tucker Kraft had been Jordan Love’s most reliable pass catcher before going down in the loss to the Carolina Panthers.
That’s why analyst Bradley Locker of PFF named him the biggest surprise player for the Packers.
“Biggest Surprise: TE Tucker Kraft,” Locker wrote. “Kraft was enjoying a breakout campaign prior to a torn ACL in Week 9. The third-round pick ranked fourth in overall PFF grade (78.1) and second in PFF receiving grade (82.9) among tight ends with 40 or more targets.”
Before suffering a torn ACL, Kraft couldn’t be defended in the open field, and his ability to change direction and force defenders to miss tackles helped him pile up yards after the catch with ease.
He became Love’s preferred target in high-stakes situations, and he delivered more often than not.
The Packers’ passing game is now without a crucial piece, and while they have more than enough weapons at wide receiver, they failed to address tight end at the trade deadline.
They made some minor moves for depth and tried to acquire Cleveland Browns veteran David Njoku, but could not complete that deal.
Now, the Packers can only hope that Luke Musgrave can pick up the slack and do his best Kraft impersonation.
They will also be wise to get rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden more involved, and Christian Watson should reclaim his WR1 status after making his season debut coming off an injury.
NEXT: Packers Warned From Making A Huge Mistake With Free Agent CB