The Tennessee Titans added to their tight ends room during the 2023 NFL draft when they selected Josh Whyle out of Cincinnati in the fifth round.
Whyle adds an intriguing player to the room, as he has the goods to be an impact pass-catcher, something Tennessee desperately needs. He isn’t a polished blocker yet, but he has shown improvement in that area.
The latter part is key for Whyle’s ability to see the field in 2023. The Titans already have a primary pass-catching tight end in Chig Okonkwo, and a blocking specialist in Trevon Wesco.
Whyle fits somewhere in between the strengths of those two, but if he can show he’s a plus blocker in Year 1, he could jump Wesco on the depth chart. As of now, Wesco should be considered the favorite for the No. 2 role.
After being drafted on Saturday, Whyle met with the media and spoke about his ability as a pass-catcher, blocker, and the versatility he brings to the table. Keep scrolling to find out what he said about those topics and more.
On if he's a better pass-catcher or blocker
“I think naturally pass-catcher just because I grew up a wide receiver. I transitioned to wide receiver halfway through high school. Especially this last year of college, I think I really improved inside the box blocking, technique and foot work. So, if that answers your question, definitely pass blocking, but I have improved a lot.”
On his official measurements
“I am about 6’6 ½, and right now I am hanging between 245 and 250. It helps a lot man. I came into UC at like 230 and really they wanted me light because they expected to spread me out a little bit more, but as we got into my fourth or fifth year, they asked me to put on some weight. In the box it just makes just a huge difference, even five to 10 pounds. Whether it’s confidence or whatever.”
On getting the call from Vrabel
“It was pretty cool. Me and Vrabes (Mike Vrabel) have talked in the past. Obviously, him and Coach Fick (Luke Fickell) were roommates at Ohio State. He’s been down to UC a couple of times. It was just a good conversation. We are both just excited for me to get down there and contribute any way I can to the team.”
On his versatility as a blocker, pass-catcher
“Yeah, they liked the idea that I could do a little bit of both. You know, kind of be an in-line blocker and spread me out to catch a ball. Not only that, I think I have good special teams value.”
On if he played fullback in college
“Yes sir, Power I.”
On switching from WR to TE in high school
“That wasn’t really my decision. Our coaches just came up to me and said, ‘We think you’d be one of the best tight ends in the country. We think it’d be really good for us.’ And they asked me to put on a little bit weight, spent some time in the box and you know, here we are.”
On untapped potential as a pass-catcher
“Yeah, I think I mean, I expect a lot of myself. I hold myself to a high standard, but at Cincinnati, you know, I just try to do what they ask me to do. You know, I’m a strong believer in that the most important stat on the sheet is a W at the end of the day, whatever that takes for the team to get the win, I’m all about that. So I try not to think about that too much, just kind of be in the right places at the right times and the ball will find me when it does.”
On transitioning to Titans' offense
“Fortunately for me, like I had to know, when it was more the inbox guy. We called it Y or H or F in the NFL, and so I kind of had to know both. And at times it can be, maybe a lot when you’re first learning the playbook, but it was really cool too. I felt like I really understood the playbook conceptually. I got to know what everybody was doing, so honestly I think it’ll be a pretty smooth transition these next couple of months, but
we’ll see how it goes.”
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