Daniel Whelan has turned the punter spot into real value for Green Bay, and that’s why he lands at No. 7 in this ranking of the Packers’ top 50 heading into 2026.
It’s not the flashiest job on the roster, but Whelan has made himself impossible to ignore. With a booming leg, he’s become a field-position weapon for the Packers - the kind of player who can take a dead drive and turn it into a defensive advantage. When Green Bay has to punt from deep in its own territory, Whelan gives the team a chance to flip the entire feel of a possession and force opponents to work in the shadow of their own goal post.
He’s been the Packers’ punter for the past three seasons, and the numbers back up the impact. Whelan has averaged 47.8 yards per punt and 41.3 net yards per punt. For comparison, first-team All-Pro punter Jordan Stout of the Baltimore Ravens averaged 50.1 yards per punt last season and 44.9 net yards per punt.
His 2025 season was the best of his career. Whelan averaged 51.7 yards per punt and 44.3 net yards per punt, and he had 18 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
That 51.7-yard average led the league, ranked third in single-season NFL history, and set a Packers record by more than five yards. Corey Bojorquez had held the previous Green Bay mark at 46.5 yards per punt in 2021.
Whelan was in the All-Pro mix last season, and the expectation here is clear: he’ll be a first-team All-Pro punter in 2026.
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The schedule is soft enough to give the Packers some breathing room, but it also means the evaluation could come quickly if the edge rush does not show up as hoped. If Van Ness and Sorrell struggle to make the kind of impact Green Bay wants, the front office may not wait long before exploring veteran help, with names like Josh Sweat or Maxx Crosby looming as possible fixes. [Read more 🡒]