The Green Bay Packers’ lack of depth at tight end became a real issue around the middle of the 2025 season.

Things changed quickly after Tucker Kraft — who was putting together an All-Pro level campaign — tore his ACL in the Week 9 game against the Carolina Panthers and was lost for the year. Once he went down, it became obvious the position group didn’t have enough behind him to keep the same level of production and stability in the offense.

Luke Musgrave and John FitzPatrick stepped into larger roles. Green Bay also elevated Josh Whyle from the practice squad, but none of the replacements came close to matching the level of production No. 85 had been providing.

The situation got even tougher when FitzPatrick suffered an Achilles injury. He’s slated to hit unrestricted free agency, which likely will end his time in Green Bay. Meanwhile, Musgrave is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and it would be surprising if he is still with the team in 2027. With that outlook, upgrading the position with a long-term plan should be on Brian Gutekunst’s checklist.

USC tight end Lake McRee is a draft target to monitor. He brings solid size for the position at 6’3”, 251 lbs. Across five seasons with the Trojans, he recorded 97 receptions for 1,142 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s coming off a breakout year, posting career highs in targets, catches, receiving yards, yards per route run, and total touchdowns, including his postseason production.

As the Packers look for TE depth. A potential Day 3 target could be Lake McCree.

The USC TE has natural body control and plucks the ball away from his frame. Of his 30 receptions this past season, 21 of them resulted in a 1st down. pic.twitter.com/rfLkZmSTYr

— Brennen Rupp (@Brennen_Rupp) February 7, 2026

“McRee was fourth on the team in receptions and receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns, after a season where the Trojans didn’t have a single tight end touchdown in 2024,” Ryan Abraham, owner and publisher for USC football.com, said. “McRee was a reliable option for Jayden Maiava and he helped bring about the resurgence of the tight end position for this USC offense.”

The former Trojan could fit well in Matt LaFleur’s offense because his game is built on versatility and assignment reliability. He can line up inline, move across the formation, and handle blocking duties in outside-zone and split-flow concepts, which are core elements of the system. Lake McRee also works well off play-action, getting into space quickly and finishing catches, traits that tight ends must have in this scheme.

Lake McRee? More like Lake McSpeed!*

*SHUT UP. I DON’T CARE IF DOESN’T QUITE WORK! #USC @lake_mcree pic.twitter.com/HEvJmpcZho

— Chris Treviño (@ChrisNTrevino) August 31, 2025

“We have seen the tight end position grow and evolve in the NFL and McRee has the skillset to be a contributor at the next level,” Abraham noted. “He has the potential to evolve into a No. 1 tight end, but he could help teams that like to use multiple tight end sets or as a backup to the primary in most offenses.”

With that being said, the blocking side of McRee’s game is the area that will need the most refinement. Green Bay’s starting tight ends consistently hold up in the run game, which is exactly why John FitzPatrick logged more snaps than Luke Musgrave in the second half of the season.

McRee’s top single-season run-blocking grade in college was only 58.7 back in 2021. While the effort and role versatility are there, his technique and point-of-attack strength will need to improve to earn trust in a system that places real demands on tight ends as blockers.

“Before this season the tight ends were mostly used as run blockers, so he was able to hone his craft in the run game before things opened up in the pass game,” Abraham shared. “He can certainly hold his own and really helped the Trojans keep the ball moving on the ground even after losing their top-two backs to injury.”

According to Sumer Sports, the Packers lined up in 12-personnel on 33.76% of their offensive snaps last season — their highest rate over the past four years. Their offensive approach is to play from under center and lean into the run game, which aligns with the bigger, more physical offensive linemen they have prioritized in recent investments.

That approach works best when both tight ends can threaten defenses as receivers while also handling their blocking responsibilities. If Lake McRee improves the blocking side of his profile, he has a path to becoming a dependable TE2 behind Tucker Kraft for at least the next four seasons.