Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
UW tight end Ferguson visits Packers during local pro day
The Green Bay Packers invited Wisconsin TE Jake Ferguson to their local pro day last Friday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Ferguson was a three-year starter for the Badgers and amassed 145 receptions for 1,618 yards and 13 touchdowns during his college career.
Naturally, Packers fans are always enamored with home-grown prospects, and Ferguson could become the second Badger to be drafted by the Packers in consecutive years. Offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen was a sixth-round pick in 2021.
The Packers are expected to be in the market for a tight end in this year’s draft with Robert Tonyan recovering from an ACL injury and Marcedes Lewis set to turn 38 in May.
Ferguson did not test well at the combine, which likely dropped his draft stock to Day 3. At 6-5, 250 pounds, he has the ideal size for the position, but his lack of physicality as a blocker and speed has raised some questions. Ferguson ran 4.81 seconds in the 40yard dash at the NFL combine before improving to a 4.71 at Wisconsin’s pro day.
Draft analysts view Ferguson as a prototypical inline Y tight end at the next level. He isn’t great at one thing in particular but more of an all-around solid prospect with a future as a formidable backup. His route running has improved over the years, along with his blocking, but these are areas he needs to improve on if he wants to see substantial playing time in the NFL.
Learning behind Tonyan, Lewis, and Josiah Deguara would be an ideal situation for Ferguson if he can eventually settle into the team’s traditional inline tight end role.
Other former Badgers such as safety Scott Nelson and receiver Kendric Pryor were also in Green Bay for the local pro day.
Packers among teams to meet with UCLA tight end Dulcich
The Packers are among the many teams that have met with UCLA tight end Greg Dulcich, according to Rapoport.
Dulcich will have an official pre-draft visit with the Atlanta Falcons, but it’s unclear if he officially visited or will visit the Packers.
Dulcich (6-4, 243) caught 68 passes for 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns over the last two seasons. He was an All-Pac 12 selection each season.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranks Dulcich as the second-best tight end in the draft class, behind only Trey McBride of Colorado State.
Dulcich could give the Packers a developmental tight end to groom in the Tonyan role within Matt LaFleur’s offense. He played inline and in the slot at UCLA.
At the combine, Dulcich ran the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds (1.62-second 10-yard split), hit 34” in the vertical leap, covered 10-2 in the broad jump, finished the short shuttle in 4.37 seconds and the threecone drill in 7.02 seconds and completed 16 reps in the bench press. His Relative Athletic Score is 8.21.
Dulcich played 33 games (17 starts) at the collegiate level and was invited to the Senior Bowl. He turned 22 years old in March.
Inside: Find more pre-draft visits hosted by the Packers and learn why they are one of several teams expressing “heavy interest” in Nebraska wide receiver Samori Toure, Pages 10-11.