The progeny of an aerial application family in South Dakota is one of the newest members of the storied Green Bay Packers. The Packers drafted Tucker Kraft, a tight end out of South Dakota State University, in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft on April 28. Click on the Twitter image above for live footage of the moment Tucker learned he was being drafted by the four-time Super Bowl champs and 13-time league winners overall.

Tucker has deep ties to the agricultural aviation industry. His father, Doug Kraft, lost his life in a fatal ag accident in 2013 when Tucker was 12. Tucker’s uncle, Jake Kraft, operates Air Kraft Spraying Inc. in Timber Lake, South Dakota, and hosted Tucker’s watch party during the NFL draft at the company’s hangar. Tanner Kraft, Tucker’s older brother, also flies for Air Kraft Spraying, as does his cousin, Tyrone Kraft.

Tucker does most of his flying around the football field. After only catching seven passes during SDSU’s Covid-shortened 2020 football season, the 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end caught NFL scouts’ eye when he exploded for 65 receptions, 780 yards receiving and six touchdowns in the Jackrabbits’ 2021 season.

A post-draft analysis by a Cheesehead TV evaluator described Tucker as an immensely talented but still-developing football player. He’s raw now, but the potential upside is obvious, analyst Bruce Irons wrote:

Kraft … looks like a guy who can do anything, but simply hasn’t had to (or had time to) yet. …

He’s been a standout at every level, and now he’s at the highest level. He has some work to do, but his natural toughness and midwest rural work ethic will serve him well.

If he capitalizes on it, he can become a top tier tight end in the NFL.

Good luck, Tucker, and congratulations to the entire Kraft family on seeing Tucker’s dream of playing in the NFL come to fruition!

Next Stop: Green Bay!

Watch the videos below to learn more about Tucker’s journey from a town of 500 residents in Timber Lake, South Dakota, to the soon-to-be bright lights of the NFL.