The Green Bay Packers’ tight end group appeared unfamiliar during last week’s mandatory minicamp. Ascending star Tucker Kraft is still recovering from a torn ACL, keeping him with the rehab group. Luke Musgrave is presumably the next man up, but a new injury has sidelined him. That left Josh Whyle and Messiah Swinson as the top options for team drills, both working as starters on the first team.
Swinson is a promising practice squad member, while Whyle joined the active roster last November following Kraft’s injury.
Both players will get a decent spotlight to showcase their growth this summer and should see plenty of the limelight in the preseason. Yet don’t be surprised if it becomes more than that, especially for Whyle. He has developed into a nice piece for the offense by the end of last season and is emerging as a new cog in the offensive machine.
Whyle is a former 2023 fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati who spent his first two years with the Tennessee Titans. Entering the draft, Whyle had a high athletic ceiling, with an 8.98 Relative Athletic Score, good ball skills, solid blocking, and decent route running.
However, he struggled to purloin targets from fellow Bearcat tight end Josiah Deguara, whom the Packers took in the third round of the 2023 draft. Whyle also appeared to lack functional strength.
There were maturity questions and off-field concerns, especially regarding his habits. While dealing with injuries, Whyle admitted, “Last season, I was just not really taking care of my body, not eating right. I guess not living right.”
Whyle put some of those questions behind him with a decent first two seasons in Tennessee as a rotational player, playing in 27 games and catching 37 receptions for 342 yards and two touchdowns. Whyle fell victim to final roster cuts in 2025, thanks largely to a new coaching staff and a lack of major production. He joined Green Bay’s practice squad in August, and it elevated him to the active roster in November.
However, Whyle didn’t see much action. With Kraft sidelined, it took a village of tight ends to keep the offense operating smoothly. Still, it looked like Green Bay found a worthy developmental piece in that limited action.
While played 176 offensive snaps, and the Packers targeted him six times in the passing game. He turned those into five receptions for 36 yards, two first downs, and a touchdown. He averaged 7.2 yards per reception. Whyle was reliable when the ball came his way, a willing blocker, and kept the offense afloat without its best tight end. Excellent for a practice squad call-up.
Now, Whyle begins offseason activities as the closest thing Green Bay currently has to a TE1.
Having a full offseason to learn the playbook already puts Whyle in a better position than last season. Meanwhile, with Kraft and Musgrave unavailable, he’s getting plenty of time to work with Jordan Love and the starting offense.
Love targeted Whyle quite a few times, even with his more familiar targets available. One of his most impressive plays was a connection to the tight end, a crisp touchdown pass in tight coverage from Zaire Franklin.
If that wasn’t enough, Matt LaFleur even played Whyle as a fullback, a further sign the coaching staff wants the young tight end to stick around, grow with the offense, and find a unique role even when Kraft and Musgrave are back.
LaFleur has experimented with, but never fully committed to, using a fullback in the offense. LaFleur’s friend Kyle Shanahan employs the league’s most notable fullback, Kyle Juszczyk, and some of LaFleur’s best offensive games were with fullback Henry Pearson on the roster. LaFleur also tried to use Whyle’s former teammate Deguara there, but it didn’t pan out.
Even if it’s just an occasional role, if Whyle can play as a depth tight end and a situational fullback, that’s a great way to make the roster and let the offense try some new things.
LaFleur likes what he’s seen from Whyle so far, claiming, “He’s shown a lot of good things.”
Kraft believes he’ll be back by Week 1, but we aren’t sure what the ramp-up will look like. Musgrave’s status is a major question mark. While the Packers did (finally) sign Luke Lachey, who failed his initial physical, he’s a different flavor of tight end and will need to learn the playbook.
Chances are good that Whyle will get some featured looks come training camp. And if he continues to grow and have a good preseason, he could emerge as a fun offensive weapon for Green Bay.
