Struggling with injuries and consistency, Luke Musgrave faces a pivotal crossroads as the Green Bay Packers weigh his elite physical traits against a lack of on-field production.
We're officially 31 days from the start of the 2026 NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. Whether you're ready or not, football season is here.
The Packers kick off their 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13, from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Talk about pressure. The Vikings are certainly in a transitional place as a franchise, but getting going against an NFC North foe ratchets up the intensity of this season from the get-go.
It's a big season for the Packers. There's a belief that they're in a Super Bowl window right now, which means every single game is important. That means the intensity will be there in Week 2 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and it will certainly be there in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, when the Packers will play at Lambeau Field for the first time in 2026.
There's going to be a lot of proverbial ink spilled on this 2026 season and we here at PackersRoundtable hope that you spend as much time as possible with us talking about the ins and outs and ups and downs of the Packers.
As we prepare for the 2026 season, though, we're going to kick things off with a rankings series looking at the Top 50 Packers heading into the 2025 season.
At No. 31, we have tight end Luke Musgrave
Ranking the Top 50 Packers Heading Into 2026: No. 31, Luke Musgrave
Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave (88) is tackled by Carolina Panthers safety Lathan Ransom (22) during the fourth quarter of their game Sunday, November 2, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.This is a disappointing ranking for Luke Musgrave, but it's an honest one. In fact, the Packers had initially projected that Musgrave would be better than Tucker Kraft.
Think about that for a minute, because for a while, it was true.
The Packers selected Musgrave with the 42nd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was a second-round draft pick. Kraft was selected a round later at pick No. 78.
Musgrave started ranked ahead of Kraft on the Packers' org chart, but he could never stay healthy and when he was on the field, he could never take advantage of his size or speed.
Tight ends that check in at 6-foot-6, 253 pounds who can run a 4.61 40-yard dash don't just grow on trees, so it makes sense why Green Bay still wants to see what it can get out of Musgrave.
Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, Musgrave was placed on the active/PUP list with a neck injury that could very well be a long-term issue.
In three seasons, he's caught just 65 passes for 649 yards and one touchdown. He has the talent to be a Top 15 player on this team. Unfortunately, we're not even sure if he'll play again in green and gold at this juncture.
2025 Synopsis:
In 17 games, Musgrave caught 24-of-31 targets for 252 yards. He averaged 10.5 yards per catch and picked up 11 first downs. Unfortunately, he was given a prime opportunity to show that he can be a TE1 when Kraft tore his ACL, but Musgrave was not able to take advantage of it.
Notable Quotables:
"And yet, despite the extremely rocky beginning to his career, the Packers still have something of a lottery ticket in him. He’s still only 25 years old, playing a position that can be extremely difficult to transition to the NFL in. He’s still got the speed and size that made him so intriguing in the first place." - Kalani Jones
Projected Role in 2026:
If he can get back healthy, the Packers are going to give Musgrave every shot to be a true TE2 to Kraft. He's got the size and speed that makes him a matchup nightmare, but can he get back onto the field and then take advantage of those matchups?
Musgrave is going to get a shot, but there's a realistic chance he'll be replaced by Josh Whyle, who can at least block.
Previous Rankings:
