Luke Musgrave can live up to the hype, but he has to stay healthy

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Coaches tend not to heap praise during spring workouts. They’re on air, often half-speed, and generally aren’t predictive of future performance. But some players look so different from everyone else and move in such a unique way that even the most tight-lipped coaches can’t help but be in awe. Even that takes a particularly special set of traits for the coach to share praise with the public.

Luke Musgrave, from the moment he started practicing as a member of the Green Bay Packers, left that impression. He has the chance to be the best rookie tight end in the history of the most storied franchise in the NFL, even at a position where rookie learning curves trend somewhere between steep and vertiginous. But Musgrave can do it, he just has to do the one thing that kept him from being a first-round draft pick: stay on the field.

Since 2000, only four rookie tight ends have started every game for their teams as rookies and you probably couldn't name all four with 30 guesses: Randy McMichael (Miami Dolphins), Dwayne Allen (Indianapolis Colts), Zach Miller (Oakland Raiders), and Joe Klopfenstein (St. Louis Rams).

During his final season at Oregon State, Musgrave had the chance to cement himself as a first-round pick, seeing an incredible 15 targets through two games. The Beavers wanted him to be the fulcrum of their passing game, but injury robbed him of that chance. The most targets he saw in a college season came in 2021 when Musgrave earned 37 passes.