Luke Musgrave is the latest Oregon State tight end to join the NFL.
Musgrave, picked Friday night by Green Bay and the 42nd overall selection of the 2023 NFL draft, looks to become the third Beaver tight end in four years to join an NFL team.
Noah Togiai has played four years in the NFL, and most recently signed with Arizona. Teagan Quitoriano was a fifth-round pick by Houston last year.
The 6-foot-6, 249-pound Musgrave, a Summit High of Bend graduate, was Oregon State teammates with both.
“They’re both really good guys. I’m excited to keep on having that relationship with them,” said Musgrave during a media conference call.
Musgrave learned from both on his journey to the NFL, saying “they were kind of first-class tight ends who did it right. It was fun to watch and kind of learn from them. I’ve been able to talk to Teagan throughout about what his NFL experience has been like, so that’s been great.”
Musgrave, the highest OSU draft pick since Brandin Cooks in 2014, said the Packers have “always kind of been one of my favorite teams. From the town, to the jerseys, and the Packers’ breed of football. I always think of it as a very tough, hard-nosed, hard-working breed of football. That’s what I’m excited about.”
During Musgrave’s 15-minute media availability, he was grilled extensively about the knee injury that knocked him for most of Oregon State’s 2022 season. Musgrave sustained a knee injury during the final minute of the Beavers’ 35-32 win over Fresno State on Sept. 10. Musgrave, who had 11 catches for 169 yards during Oregon State’s first two games, missed the final 11 games of the season.
Musgrave said it was an MCL injury that eventually required surgery. Though he termed it as “fairly simple surgery,” Musgrave said once he underwent the knife, it was impossible to return to play at OSU last season.
“I really was trying to press to get to the Senior Bowl. (I) got cleared, really kind of reluctantly, two weeks before it,” Musgrave said.
Because he missed most of Oregon State’s 2022 season, Musgrave felt it was important, mentally and physically, to play in the Senior Bowl.
“I was ready to get into football and I wanted to play football. That was the longest time I’ve been away from the sport since college,” Musgrave said. “It was important to me to play in the game and obviously perform well.”
Green Bay is an opportunity for Musgrave, as the Packers are short on tight ends. Green Bay is so thin that in the third round, the Packers selected another tight end in Tucker Kraft of South Dakota State.
Musgrave said Green Bay officials haven’t said anything about tight end being a need position, but “I just know that from day one, I’m going to work my butt off and contribute to the team in whichever way the coaches see me doing that. That’s how I work.”
As far as his potential, Musgrave said he’d work as hard as he could to reach it.
“I think I have some really good God given abilities and I’m excited to work every day to reach those abilities,” he said.
As a first-year player, Musgrave is likely to make his mark with Green Bay on special teams. It’s a familiar role for Musgrave, who played on several special teams units for OSU. His highlight came during the 2021 season, when Musgrave blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown in a 42-34 win over eventual Pac-12 champion Utah.
“I see that as a huge part of my game,” Musgrave said. “Tight ends have a great body to do special teams. We’re usually long, fast guys. … I’m going to attempt to be on all of them. Whichever ones they see me on, I’ll play.”
–Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel
