Coming out of college, Tennessee Titans tight end Josh Whyle was known for his pass-catching ability, but what he could do as a blocker was in question.
Of course, playing the tight end position is more than just about catching balls, even in this day and age when throwing the football is all the rage. Tight ends must be able to block or else it can severely limit their snaps.
Buy Titans TicketsNobody is ready to proclaim Whyle a fantastic blocker quite yet, but he did show some flashes of potential in Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
On running back Derrick Henry’s 29-yard touchdown run, Whyle, who ended up playing a career-high 19 snaps, had a great block on Bengals stud pass-rusher, Trey Hendrickson, which paved the way for The King’s run.
If Whyle doesn’t hold his ground, Henry’s touchdown doesn’t happen. And, the fact that Tennessee used him as a fullback here shows a lot of confidence in him as a blocker.
Can’t get over Josh Whyle’s block on Trey Hendrickson on Derrick Henry’s 29-yard TD run.
Beautiful play design, got the LB to bite, Dillard/Radunz pin, Whyle STICKS Hendrickson, and Henry does the rest. #Titans pic.twitter.com/wMEflGN2LA
— Jake (@JakeAndBall) October 2, 2023
Then, later in the game, Whyle flashed on a pass play to The King with a block downfield that helped Henry pick up a handful of extra yards. NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger covers both Whyle blocks in his breakdown below (second block comes around 55 seconds).
.@Titans @KingHenry_2 got back to their brand of football. A punishing blend of power and creativity to blow these cats out of music city. #TitanUp #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/z0c2uMXweV
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) October 2, 2023
The Cincinnati product finished the game with a grade of 64.0 over his 11 run-blocking snaps, and a mark of 71.1 in pass-blocking. The former grade is solid but not great, but it’s also nearly 20 points higher than his season grade.
Whyle’s development as a blocker is important for the Titans’ offense.
When Tennessee deploys Trevon Wesco as a blocker, opposing defenses don’t have to respect him as anything more than that.
But with Whyle, his ability as a pass-catcher, which showed up in this game on his 24-yard reception, gives opposing defenses something else to think about and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly more options.
After a quiet start to his career, both in the preseason and over the first three games, Whyle is starting to show some signs of life, something that’s great news for Tennessee’s offense.
