2023 SEASON: Appeared in all 17 games with eight starts, finishing with 31 receptions for 355 yards (11.5 avg.) and two TDs along with three tackles on special teams...His receiving-yardage total ranks No. 2 in team history among rookie tight ends behind only Bubba Franks (363 in 2000) and his reception total ranks No. 3 among rookie TEs behind only Franks (34 in 2000) and Luke Musgrave (34 in 2023)…Ranked No. 3 in the NFL among rookie TEs in receiving yards and No. 4 in receptions…Among tight ends with 20-plus catches, ranked No. 1 among rookies and No. 8 among all TEs in yards per catch…Posted 21 receptions in the final five games, good for No. 6 among NFL tight ends over that span…Was the first rookie TE to register multiple TD catches for the Packers since Rodgers (two) in 2014…Started both postseason contests and caught five passes for 24 yards (4.8 avg.)…At Chicago (Sept. 10): Appeared on 13 plays on offense and four on special teams in his NFL debut…Vs. Detroit (Sept. 28): Finished with two receptions for 5 yards (2.5 avg.), including his first NFL catch when he hauled in a 6-yard pass from QB Jordan Love in the third quarter…At Pittsburgh (Nov. 12): Made his first NFL start and played 35 snaps on offense, posting a 6-yard reception…At Detroit (Nov. 23): Started in place of an injured Musgrave (abdomen) and played 54 of 56 snaps. Caught a pair of passes for 15 yards (7.5 avg.), highlighted by his first TD catch as a pro, a 9-yarder from Love in the first quarter…At N.Y. Giants (Dec. 11): Started and played all 68 snaps, a career high, leading the team with a career-best 64 yards receiving on four receptions (16.0 avg.). His 64 receiving yards matched Musgrave (Week 10 at Pittsburgh in 2023) for the most receiving yards in a game by a Green Bay rookie TE since Ron Kramer had 68 yards at Detroit on Nov. 28, 1957. Posted a career-long 43-yard catch midway through the fourth quarter to the Giants' 41, the longest by a Packers rookie tight end since Rodgers (43-yarder) at Chicago on Sept. 28, 2014…Vs. Tampa Bay (Dec. 17): Started and played 57 of 60 snaps, posting four catches for 57 yards (14.3 avg.) and a TD. Caught a 5-yard TD pass late in the first quarter and added a 36-yard grab down the left sideline early in the second quarter down to the Tampa Bay 23. Dating back to the 1970 merger, became the first Green Bay rookie TE to post four-plus catches and 55-plus receiving yards in back-to-back games…At Carolina (Dec. 24): Started and played 61 of 66 snaps, posting four receptions for 60 yards (15.0 avg.). Became just the third Green Bay TE since the 1970 merger to register four-plus receptions and 55-plus receiving yards in three straight games, joining Jermichael Finley (twice, 2009 and 2012) and Paul Coffman (1985). Became the first Packers rookie TE since the merger to have 12-plus catches and 180-plus receiving yards over a three-game span. With just under two minutes remaining and the game tied at 30, caught a 20-yard pass over the middle to the Carolina 13 to set up K Anders Carlson's game-winning 32-yard field goal four plays later…At Minnesota (Dec. 31): Started and played 61 of 74 snaps, tying for the team lead with a career-high six catches for 48 yards (8.0 avg.). Became the first Green Bay tight end since the merger to register four-plus receptions and 45-plus receiving yards in four straight games in a single season. His streak of four tied for the third longest by an NFL rookie since the merger…Vs. Chicago (Jan. 7): Started and played 54 of 60 snaps, posting three receptions for 31 yards (10.3 avg.). On the Packers' game-clinching drive, caught a 15-yard pass over the middle on third-and-7…At Dallas (NFC Wild Card, Jan. 14): Started and played 45 of 56 snaps, posting two receptions for 15 yards (7.5 avg.)…2023 Draft: Selected by the Packers in the third round (No. 78 overall), the first SDSU player drafted by the Packers since Timmerman (seventh round, No. 230 overall) in 1995.
COLLEGE: Played in 32 games with 21 starts for South Dakota State, recording 99 receptions for 1,218 yards (12.3 avg.) and nine TDs in his four seasons (2019-22)…Ranked in the top 10 among FCS tight ends in receptions (92, No. 4), receiving yards (1,128, No. 5) and receiving TDs (nine, t-No. 7) in 2021-22 (Stats Pass)…Part of teams that brought the Jackrabbits to the first two FCS national championship games (2021-22) in school history, including winning their first title in 2022...Majored in interdisciplinary studies…2022: Was limited to nine games with eight starts due to an ankle injury, but earned third-team FCS All-America honors from AP and Stats Perform and was a first-team All-MVFC selection…Finished with 27 receptions for 348 yards (12.9 avg.) and three TDs…Also returned one kickoff for 30 yards…Tied for the team lead with five receptions for 59 yards (11.8 avg.) and a TD vs. Indiana State (Oct. 29)…Finished with four receptions for a season-high 69 yards (17.3 avg.) at Northern Iowa (Nov. 5), including a season-long 57-yard reception in the second quarter down to the Northern Iowa 17 to help set up a FG…Tied his season high with 69 yards on four receptions (17.3 avg.) in the FCS semifinal win vs. Montana State (Dec. 17), hauling in a 36-yard TD pass on the opening drive…Registered two receptions for 30 yards (15.0 avg.) vs. North Dakota State (Jan. 8) to help SDSU win its first FCS national title in school history…2021: Posted career highs in games played (15), games started (10), receptions (65), receiving yards (780) and receiving TDs (six), earning first-team All-America honors from Athlon, HERO Sports and Stats Perform and second-team AP All-America recognition…Led FCS tight ends in receptions, ranked No. 2 in receiving yards and was tied for No. 3 in receiving TDs…Finished No. 2 on the team in both receptions and receiving yards and caught multiple passes in all 15 games...Registered four receptions for 38 yards (9.5 avg.) and a career-high two TDs vs. Lindenwood (Sept. 11):, hauling in second-quarter TDs of 5 and 13 yards…Posted career highs with 10 receptions for 124 yards (12.4 avg.) and a TD vs. Southern Illinois (Oct. 9)…Led the team with nine receptions for 123 yards (13.7 avg.) vs. Northern Iowa (Oct. 23)…Tied for the team lead with six receptions for 96 yards (16.0 avg.) at Montana State (Dec. 18), including a 25-yard catch in the first quarter and a 38-yarder in the second quarter…2020/2021: Played in seven games with three starts during a 2020 season that was postponed to February 2021 due to COVID-19…Finished with seven receptions for 90 yards (12.9 avg.) with a long of 31 yards…Posted multiple receptions in three games…Was tied for No. 5 on the team in receptions…Rushed the ball once for 4 yards and returned one kickoff for 4 yards…Missed three games due to injury…Helped the Jackrabbits reach their first FCS national title game in school history (vs. Sam Houston)…Shared the team's Offensive Player of the Week award after catching two passes for 24 yards (12.0 avg.) in the FCS playoff win vs. Holy Cross (April 24)…Registered two receptions for 33 yards (16.5 avg.) in a playoff quarterfinal win vs. Southern Illinois (May 2), including a season-long 31-yard reception in the third quarter to the SIU 26 that set up a TD on the next play...2019: Redshirted and saw action in one game as a freshman.
PERSONAL: Given name Tucker John Kraft…Born in Bismarck, N.D. …Nicknamed "Tuck"…Married, wife's name is Baylee...High school: Lettered for four years in football, basketball and track at Timber Lake (S.D.) High School…Primarily played running back, middle linebacker and punter while seeing limited action at quarterback…Rushed for 1,405 yards and 24 TDs as a senior, while adding 132 receiving yards and 56 tackles on defense en route to a spot on the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45...Totaled 3,130 rushing yards and 50 TDs on offense to go along with 142 tackles and eight sacks on defense in his four seasons as a starter...Also threw five TD passes...Earned second-team all-state honors in basketball after averaging 14.2 points, eight rebounds and two steals per game…Community involvement: Visited with patients and families at Children's Wisconsin in Milwaukee in September 2023.
