We all got a glimpse of where Tucker Kraft came from when we saw his draft night party.

This is fitting because, to really understand what kind of player Tucker Kraft is, we have to go back to the beginning.

Kraft grew up in the farmlands. His dad flew a crop duster. The city he was from (Timber Lake, South Dakota) barely had a population over 500. It's a small town, the kind of town where every boy in school has to play on every sports team because if they don't, there won't be enough players to even field a team.

In football, which takes more players, it's even harder to field a team in a small school. In his conference, the schools were so small, they only played 9-man football.

So Tucker Kraft played multiple sports. But he didn't just participate - as a natural athlete with all the physical gifts someone could ask for, he excelled. He made second team All State in basketball. In football, he was a first team All State player, who displayed his athletic versatility by playing quarterback, running back, defensive end, linebacker, and punter.

Despite playing well in high school, college recruiting was tepid and he took the first D1 offer he got: local South Dakota State University.

One of the biggest differences between the college game and the pro game is that colleges need to find ways to use their players, since they often don't have time to develop them.

Kraft had even less time than most players.

He had a redshirt freshman year in 2019 before an underwhelming 7-catch year in the Covid season of 2020. Then he exploded in 2021 with 780 yards and 6 touchdowns, to earn First Team All American honors.

That year, his natural skills were on full display.

His 6'5, 255 size made him a big target. His 4.69 speed is good for his size, but his 1.59 10 yard split is elite for tight ends and highlights his burst off the line.

SDSU took advantage of these gifts, using his explosion and athleticism to create space off the line. Kraft catches well in traffic, so SDSU ran a lot of quick routes to get him the ball just a few yards down field. He was able to get a little separation off the line with his release, then use his body to box our defenders, and his hands and concentration to catch in traffic for quick yards.

With the ball in his hand, his size, athleticism, and natural strength make him tough to bring down. He has a natural feel for navigating the field after the catch, angling away from and weaving between defenders. His stiff arm is pretty effective, as well, and he always falls forward when he goes down.

Kraft absolutely thrived in these situations. Quick passes, catch in traffic, then get some tough yards after the catch. I believe this is what the Packers want to use him for when they selected him in the 3rd round.

Why was he available in the 3rd round?

Two reasons.

The first one injuries. A bad ankle injury cost him 6 games last season, and his stats were less impressive (though he was still a Third Team All American), which may have helped him slip to the Packers in the 3rd round of this tight end rich draft class.

The Packer came into this draft needing multiple tight ends and, after taking Luke Musgrave (who also has some injury history) in the 2nd round, they were thrilled to see Kraft handing around in the 3rd. Kraft has everything Green Bay was looking for and fits the profile of the latest generation of productive NFL tight ends.

Earlier in year, I looked at the evolution of NFL offenses and saw that the tight end position played a key role. The top 7 offenses all took advantage of a tight end that was at least 6'4 and had soft hands. Those were the only requirements. Offenses didn't need freaks of nature like Kyle Pitts or Noah Fant, they just need a big guy with soft hands.

Tucker Kraft, as it happens, is a big guy with soft hands.

He can also move really smooth, seeming to glide across the field. He's proven he can catch in tight quarters with defenders draped all over him, and pick up tough yards after the catch, but... that brings us to the second reason Kraft lasted until the 3rd round.

He is raw.

That word gets thrown around a lot so much in draft profiles that it can lose its meaning.

For Kraft, it's clear to understand the meaning.

Not far removed from playing 9 man high school football, Kraft feasted in college with the quick release pass and catch game that depended on him to catch in traffic and power past defenders for extra yards. That didn't require a lot of precision route-running. His role in the deeper passing game consisted primarily of seam routes and crossing patterns where he simply had to go find soft areas to run through and get open. This also didn't require a lot of refinement to his route-running. Throw in some injuries and a Covid season, and his development time was heavily reduced.

At the next level, his route running will need to mature. He'll need it to get more crisp in an offense that requires timing cuts and stop routes from the tight ends.

He's a similar story when it comes to blocking.

A big strong guy, he seeks natural leverage and gets after defenders in the blocking game. However, he really just looks like a big athlete pushing people around. At the next level, he'll need to work on knee bend, hand placements, and (of course) pad level. He has the mentality, he just hasn't needed (or had time) to develop pro-level technique.

Overall, he's just really raw. This actually makes his productivity even more impressive.

As an athlete, he's risen to every occasion and he's been a top performer without any refinement.

A lot of raw prospects show limitations in terms of their body functionality. For example, some guys might have a hard time getting low because of their build or might lack aggression in the blocking game. 

Kraft doesn't show any of these shortcomings - he looks like a guy who can do anything, but simply hasn't had to (or had time to) yet.

Rookie camp, OTAs, and minicamp will be critical for Kraft to fine-tune these techniques before training camp.

He's been a standout at every level, and now he's at the highest level. He has some work to do, but his natural toughness and midwest rural work ethic will serve him well.

If he capitalizes on it, he can become a top tier tight end in the NFL.