The Green Bay Packers are once again dropping hints that they are interested in taking a tight end off the board in the 2022 NFL draft later this month.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Packers are one of the teams who have held a pre-draft meeting with UCLA standout Greg Dulcich — one of the top tight ends in the 2022 class — in the past month. The 22-year-old was one of the most productive tight ends in the country last season with 42 receptions for an average of 17.7 yards and five touchdowns. He was also impressive at the NFL Scouting Combine in March.
Unsurprisingly, Rapoport mentioned that Dulcich has received interest from more than half of the teams in the NFL throughout the pre-draft process, including teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers who are expected to target a tight end in the draft. The Atlanta Falcons are also hosting him for a top-30 visit this week, potentially eyeing him as a second option alongside Kyle Pitts.
The Packers have also shown interest in at least one other tight end, having invited Wisconsin’s Jake Ferguson to their local pro day last week. Ferguson was a steady, four-year contributor for the Badgers who never caught fewer than 30 passes in a season and finished with a career tally of 145 receptions for 1,618 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Packers are returning all three of their primary tight ends — Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis and Josiah Deguara — for next season, but Tonyan is coming off an ACL tear he sustained on October 28 and Lewis will turn 38 before the start of minicamp. Even if Tonyan and Deguara take the necessary steps forward in their progression, it could be wise for them to invest in a talented rookie at the position.
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Dulcich Offers Impressive Speed & Athleticism
Dulcich didn’t put up a high volume of receiving production throughout his career, at least not on the level of some of his fellow prospects. He caught a total of 77 passes over his 24 career games with the Bruins, whereas Colorado State’s Trey McBride caught 90 passes alone during the 2021 season. What Dulcich lacks on the stat sheet, though, he makes up for with strong hands and head-turning athleticism as a vertical threat.
Speed is clearly not a problem for Dulcich. He placed among the top five tight ends in all three of the primary speed drills — 40-yard dash (4.69 seconds), 20-yard shuttle (4.37 seconds) and three-cone drill (7.05 seconds) — and added to the physical intrigue with a broad jump of 10 feet, 2 inches that rated second-best at his position.
Here’s what Drae Harris of The Draft Network wrote about Dulcich in his pre-draft profile:
Greg Dulcich is a good athlete with good straight-line speed and agility. In the run game, he doesn’t offer much as a run blocker. However, he has the toughness and competitiveness to hold the point of attack. The passing game is where he thrives. He has good route-running in the short to intermediate areas. He can win against man coverage against some safeties due to his route-running prowess and straight-line speed. He has good hands and a very good catch radius, making him a viable threat in contested-catch situations. In the NFL, he will likely be a complementary piece as an F to a traditional Y. Offenses who implore multiple-TE sets could use him flexed out or even in the backfield as an H back. He could afford to gain more mass and strength to assist in his cause as an every-down player in the NFL.
In all likelihood, the Packers will not have to move quickly for Dulcich if they decide they want him. There is a strong chance he will still be available when they pick at No. 92 overall, but they might even be able to wait until Day 3’s fourth round — when they have both their original pick and compensatory pick for Corey Linsley’s departure.
Packers Showing Interest in Top-Caliber TE Prospect: Report