Titans' rookie TE Whyle a work in progress as season nears

In drafting Josh Whyle in the fifth round in April, the Titans hoped they’d found a tight end who could boost the position group in a couple of ways.
The former University of Cincinnati standout had shown he was a pass-receiving threat in college, making 86 catches over his final three seasons.
Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 248 pounds, Whyle was also big enough to offer at least some help in the running attack.
The potential still exists on both counts for Whyle as the Titans ready for Sunday’s season opener in New Orleans, but he knows he has work ahead of him entering his rookie year.
Whyle didn’t have the smoothest of preseasons, as two passes that tipped off his hands resulted in interceptions. He also lost a fumble in the Titans’ preseason opener against Chicago and posted a 41.8 overall offensive grade over three contests, per Pro Football Focus.
“Obviously there are a couple plays I wish I could have a do-over again,” Whyle said. “But that’s why preseason is preseason. That’s kind of how I’m taking it, to learn from it and be better from it. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve just got to keep on going.”
One of Whyle’s advantages as a pass-catcher is his size, as he’s the tallest player on the Titans roster and features a wingspan of 77.4 inches.
But that height is not necessarily an advantage in the trenches, where Whyle has learned the old NFL axiom that “low man wins” when it comes to leverage battles.
“One of the things that’s been challenging [during the transition from college to the pros] is just, it’s a big emphasis on fundamentals,” Whyle said. “I’m tall, which makes it really easy for me to pop up [while blocking]. So it’s just things like that — pad level, hands, the little things that make a big difference at this level.”
Whyle was targeted seven times with passes in the preseason, catching four of them for 21 yards, an average of 5.3 yards per reception.
More attention was paid, however, to two passes Whyle wasn’t able to snare.
In the Titans’ first preseason game, Malik Willis threw high to an open Whyle near the Chicago goal line. He leapt and reached for the pass, but it deflected off his fingers and was intercepted by A.J. Thomas.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Willis and Whyle shared blame for the turnover. PFF labeled it a drop for Whyle.
In the Titans’ final preseason game against New England, Willis threw a short pass over the middle to Whyle, one that Vrabel would later say was an incorrect decision by the quarterback. The pass was behind Whyle, who stretched and wound up tipping the ball into the hands of Minnesota linebacker Calvin Munson.
“Absolutely, I gotta come down with those,” Whyle said of the deflected interceptions. “At this level, you gotta make those plays. When the ball comes your way, you gotta come down with it. It happened. I put that on me, 100 percent. I gotta get to those.”
Whyle lined up in the slot or on the outside on 38 of his 100 offensive snaps during the preseason, per PFF. But he also lined up inside on 39 of those offensive snaps, so Whyle will need to improve on his 45.9 run-blocking grade during the preseason.
“I think there’s a lot of things I could have done better overall,” Whyle said of his first camp and preseason. “But I think there’s things I did well, too. There’s a lot to work on. That’s to be expected first year coming into the league. But I’m excited for the season.”