The Green Bay Packers may have found a versatile tight end weapon out of nowhere, and his chances of making more impact this upcoming season are realistic. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky selected Josh Whyle as the Packers’ surprise contributor for 2026, and the reasoning lines up with what Green Bay needs from its tight end room behind Tucker Kraft. Whyle, a former fifth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, landed on the Packers’ practice squad last year after his release during final roster cuts. He earned a promotion to the active roster following Kraft’s injury and carved out a meaningful role down the stretch.

“He’s shown a lot of good things,” Matt LaFleur recently said.

A real contributor in limited time

Whyle played just the second half of last season but still accounted for 16% of the team’s offensive snaps and 12% of its special teams snaps. For a player who started on the practice squad, those are significant numbers. They suggest the coaching staff trusted him enough to integrate him into the rotation quickly, and that trust could expand in 2026.

The Packers don’t have much depth behind Kraft at tight end. Luke Musgrave is the second option on the roster, but he profiles more as a receiving weapon than a complete tight end. Musgrave doesn’t block particularly well, which limits his utility in certain packages.

That’s where Whyle becomes valuable. He’s a more versatile, all-around tight end who can serve as a better fit for Matt LaFleur’s scheme. At 6-7, Whyle has the frame to function and mobility as a fullback or H-back, and that role fits perfectly within what LaFleur wants to do offensively.

Throughout the offseason program, and with the expectation carrying into training camp, Whyle has worked in that H-back capacity. His ability to block on the move, catch short passes, and generate yards after the catch gives the Packers a different dimension in the run game and the short passing attack.

The profile is reminiscent of what the Packers wanted Josiah Deguara to be when they drafted him in the third round back in 2020. Deguara never developed into the player Green Bay envisioned. Whyle represents a lower investment in a similar mold, but with the potential to actually deliver on the promise Deguara couldn’t fulfill.

Why it could work this time

There are several reasons Whyle can fill this role where others have not. His physical tools at 6-7 give him natural leverage as a blocker and a large catch radius as a receiver. His willingness to play special teams adds roster value beyond the offensive snaps. And the Packers’ tight end depth chart, thinner than it has been at various points over the past few years, creates genuine opportunity.

The Packers could certainly use a reliable second or third tight end who can execute LaFleur’s offense in multiple alignments. Based on what he showed during the second half of last season, that outcome is well within reach.