Tennessee Titans rookie tight end Josh Whyle has had a rather polarizing tenure in Nashville thus far.
It started on draft weekend, when the team chose to take another pass-catching tight end instead of a wide receiver in the fifth round.
Many were confused by the pick considering the obvious need at receiver (prior to signing DeAndre Hopkins), paired with Tennessee already having Chigoziem Okonkwo on its roster as the primary pass-catching tight end.
Since then, Whyle has struggled to run with the opportunity that’s in front of him.
Along with a quiet camp, the Cincinnati product only totaled 21 receiving yards on four receptions this preseason, earning an abysmal overall grade of 41.8, per Pro Football Focus.
Whyle, who has also lost a fumble and hasn’t shown much as a blocker, struggled when it came to bailing out his quarterback when things aren’t perfect.
Malik Willis’ ball placement definitely played a role in his pick against the Chicago Bears, but the pass hit Whyle in his hands and should have been caught.
Whyle’s showing in training camp and preseason didn’t exactly lead to a rave review from Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. When asked to evaluate the rookie, he gave a short answer before moving on to the next question.
#Titans' Vrabel: Re rookie TE Josh Whyle's training camp — "It's been okay."
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) August 26, 2023
That answer might not seem like much, but the few words should tell you all you need to know about how Whyle has looked this offseason in the eyes of his head coach.
This doesn’t mean he won’t make the team — although it wouldn’t shock me to see him end up on the practice squad — but it’s pretty clear that Tennessee isn’t exactly thrilled with the current development of its rookie tight end.
