Former Las Vegas Raiders and current Green Bay Packers safety Dallin Leavitt played with Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and often played against future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce, so the sixth-year NFL veteran has a good understanding of what dominant tight end play looks like on the field.
While comparisons to special and unique players like Kelce are often unfair, especially to young players, that fact didn’t stop Leavitt from directly comparing Packers rookie Luke Musgrave to Kelce in a recent interview with Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
Leavitt called Musgrave a “special talent” who has “wiggle” and impressive “speed” plus the ability to make contested catches. While he sees some of Waller in Musgrave’s game, Leavitt liked the comparison — at least in terms of athleticism and body type — to Kelce.
Relative Athletic Score helps emphasize the comparison:
I get it, Travis Kelce is a unicorn. It's like chasing the Deebo Samuel type. But…this comp is pretty incredible.
My opinion: Luke Musgrave has the highest ceiling of any tight end in this class, Dalton Kincaid included. pic.twitter.com/G6F400kd4U
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) April 28, 2023
Size and athleticism are only pieces of the puzzle. Musgrave must now prove an all-around ability on the field; Kelce catches everything, is near impossible to tackle in the open field and blocks like hell in the run game. Musgrave has had some drop issues, needs to be more elusive after the catch and must get a lot better as a blocker, but the baseline ability is all there. He can be a special receiver, his size/athleticism combination give him the tools to avoid tackles and his run-blocking experience at Oregon State gives him a chance to survive in the run game while he learns what he needs to know as a blocker.
Musgrave looks like he’ll be a focal point of the Packers passing game in 2023. He’s locked in as the starting tight end, and Jordan Love — over just 10 attempts in the preseason opener — targeted him three times. The Packers are ready to feature the big, fast tight end in Love’s offense this season.
These comparisons are tough because it’s unlikley Musgrave will reach Kelce-level heights. But it’s hard to dismiss the size and movement ability, and Leavitt has seen Musgrave in action for several weeks dating back to the offseason workout program. The next question: Can the rookie translate the ability to the field as a rookie and realize his incredible potential?
