Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or AJ Barner

Saturday, September 19, 9:53 AM

Green Bay Packers tight end Jonnu Smith put up 50 receiving yards in Week 1, but 43 of them came on one catch. The rest of the usage was less encouraging. Smith played 32 of Green Bay's 68 offensive snaps and drew three targets, while Tucker Kraft played 45 snaps and saw six. Kraft was making his return from a torn ACL, yet he still handled the larger share of the work and finished with three catches for 65 yards. Smith only joined Green Bay at the end of August, so his role could grow as he gets more comfortable in the offense. The Packers also used multiple tight ends heavily in the opener, which keeps Smith involved. Still, the early pecking order was pretty clear. Kraft was the more prominent receiving option, and Smith needed one 43-yard play to get to 50 yards. That makes Smith's Week 1 box score look better than the underlying role did.