Jimmy Graham

StaTuesday: Graham puts previous Packers tight ends to shame

Published Mar. 20, 2018 3:05 p.m. ET

Dave Heller

New Green Bay Packers tight end Jimmy Graham is really into aviation. His Twitter profile makes no mention of football -- listing himself as a "Private Pilot" -- while his Instagram account is filled with pictures of planes.

The Packers are hoping Graham will soar to new heights as a Green Bay tight end.

While the Packers have had several notable tight ends in franchise history, none has the resume of Graham, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who is fourth all-time in touchdowns and eighth in receptions at the position.

Only 10 times has a Green Bay tight end recorded 50+ catches in a season -- and three of the top four in Packers history have been with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.

PLAYER	SEASON	CATCHES
Jermichael Finley	2012	61
Richard Rodgers	2015	58
Paul Coffman	1979	56
Jermichael Finley	2011	55
Paul Coffman	1981	55
Jermichael Finley	2009	55
Jackie Harris	1992	55
Paul Coffman	1983	54
Mark Chmura	1995	54
Bubba Franks	2002	54

Half of the teams in the NFL have had a 1,000-yard receiver at tight end. The Packers have just one who totaled over 800 yards -- and that was 35 years ago.

In addition, 19 times has a Green Bay tight end amassed over 500 yards receiving in a season (by nine different players).

PLAYER	SEASON	YARDS
Paul Coffman	1983	814
Jermichael Finley	2011	767
Paul Coffman	1979	711
Paul Coffman	1981	687
Mark Chmura	1995	679
Jermichael Finley	2009	676
Jermichael Finley	2012	667
Paul Coffman	1985	666
Jackie Harris	1993	604
Jackie Harris	1992	595
Donald Lee	2007	575
Paul Coffman	1984	562
Ron Kramer	1961	559
Ron Kramer	1962	555
Mark Chmura	1998	554
Ron Kramer	1964	551
Ron Kramer	1963	537
Richard Rodgers	2015	510
Keith Jackson	1996	505

Meanwhile, Graham has at least 57 receptions in six of his eight seasons and has topped 500 receiving yards in every season of his career except his rookie year and reached 800 in five, including two seasons over 1,000.

Only twice in Packers history has a tight end reached double-digits in touchdowns: Paul Coffman with 11 in 1983 and Keith Jackson's 10 in 1996.

Graham has four such seasons, including in 2017 when he recorded 10 in what was considered a down year for him.

SEASON	CATCHES	YARDS	TD
2010	31	356	5
2011	99	1310	11
2012	85	982	9
2013	86	1215	16
2014	85	889	10
2015	48	605	2
2016	65	923	6
2017	57	520	10

The Packers were hopeful Martellus Bennett was going to solve some of their pass-catching issues at tight end last season. This year, they really might have found an answer to that problem and that equation is Rodgers + Graham.

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Jimmy Graham

Green Bay Packers