Green Bay Packers’ Tucker Kraft earned recognition as one of the top tight ends in football, landing at No. 6 in ESPN’s latest league-wide poll of executives, coaches, and scouts. More than 70 voters submitted ballots for the rankings, and Kraft’s placement represents a significant leap from last year, when he was unranked entirely. But it still feels like Kraft doesn’t receive as much love as he should based on his performance on the field.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released the results, which put Kraft behind Las Vegas Raiders’ Brock Bowers, Arizona Cardinals’ Trey McBride, San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle, Detroit Lions’ Sam LaPorta, and Indianapolis Colts’ Tyler Warren. Chicago Bears’ Colten Loveland came in just behind Kraft at No. 7.

The range tells the story

The most telling detail from the poll is the gap between Kraft’s highest and lowest individual rankings. One voter placed him as the third-best tight end in football. His lowest ranking was, well, unranked. That kind of variance is difficult to reconcile given what he has put on tape over the past two seasons, particularly before suffering an ACL injury last year. One NFC executive offered a telling assessment of Kraft’s game.

“His speed and run-after-the-catch ability really stand out,” the unnamed exec told ESPN. “He was just scratching the surface before the injury, and he’s a high-level blocker.”

That blocking component is precisely why the No. 6 ranking feels low. LaPorta and Warren, the two tight ends ranked directly above Kraft, are not on the same level as blockers. Kraft’s combination of receiving explosiveness and in-line blocking separates him from most of the players on this list, and the fact that evaluators still don’t fully account for that dimension of his game is worth noting.

Production despite limited availability

Kraft played only eight games last season before the knee injury ended his year. Even with that limited sample, Green Bay’s tight end finished with 30 receptions for 469 yards and six touchdowns. Over the past two seasons, he has accumulated 13 receiving touchdowns, establishing himself as one of the most reliable red-zone weapons in the NFC.

Those numbers, paired with the efficiency he showed on a per-game basis, reinforce the argument that Kraft deserved a higher spot. He is no longer a developing player on the Packers’ roster.

Kraft is expected to be ready for Week 1 after returning from the ACL injury.

The top three tight ends on the list are difficult to argue against. Bowers, McBride, and Kittle have all earned their reputations through sustained elite production and availability. But Kraft has a legitimate case as the best tight end in the NFC North ahead of LaPorta, whose blocking limitations create a gap between the two that receiving numbers alone cannot close. Either way, Green Bay has one of the most electric offensive weapons in the league at tight end.