There is some uncertainty this offseason at the Tight End position for the Packers. With multiple players leaving via free agency we’ll take a look at Tight End position for the Packers next season.
Who is leaving at Tight End?
Robert Tonyan, Mercedes Lewis and Tyler Davis are free agents this offseason.
Who is returning at Tight End?
Josiah Deguara is the lone returning tight end from last season.
Last season Deguara only had 13 catches for 114 yards and he didn’t have any touchdowns last season.
Lacking a Playmaker
The Packers need a playmaker at tight end. Something they’ve been lacking since Jared Cook was with the Packers in 2016. They’ve tried to address the position multiple times.
From the free agent signings of Martellus Bennett and Jimmy Graham to trying to address the position through the draft with picks like Jake Sternberger and Josiah Deguara, it just hasn’t panned out with any of them.
What are the options at Tight End?
There are a lot of options the Packers have if they want to improve the tight end position.
One option is bringing both Tonyan and Lewis back.
Tonyan had one good year in 2020 before tearing his ACL in 2021 and since then he hasn’t been able to replicate what he once did in 2020.
Lewis has been a reliable veteran at the position since 2007 and has been with the Packers since 2018. But he is more of a blocking Tight end than a receiving Tight End.
Bringing both back could provide insurance for the team but the Packers need more at the position than what they had last year.
Free Agency
Another way the Packers can upgrade the position is through Free Agency.
This year’s free agent market has some players that the Packers can bring in. Some of the top tight ends available in Free agency include Dalton Schultz, Evan Engram, Mike Gesicki and Austin Hooper.
One of the most intriguing options is Irv Smith Jr. , who is a former first round draft pick.
Smith had a good 2020 scoring 5 touchdowns but he hasn’t done much since the Minessota Vikings brought in T.J Hockenson. Perhaps Smith could use a new start and show why he was a first round draft pick in 2019.
The Draft
The Packers could also use the draft to bring in a playmaker at Tight End. Some one the top prospects this year at Tight End include Utah’s Dalton Kincaid and Notre Dame’s Micheal Mayer. Both are projected to go late in the first round or early in the second round perhaps the Packers could possibly snag one of them in the second round if one of them drops in the draft.
Other prospects include Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave, Iowa’s Sam Laporta and Georgia’s Darnell Washington.
Conclusion
We’ve seen in the past what the Packers can do with a good receiving Tight End. If the Packers address that position this offseason who knows how dangerous this offense can be?
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Hau Khuong has been a Packers fan since 1996. He currently works as a video editor in Green Bay and writes for PackersTalk.com and you can follow him on twitter at @HauKhuongSports.
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