Making the case for Packers' Daniel Whelan as first-team All-Pro punter in 2025

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Tight end Tucker Kraft and defensive end Micah Parsons both suffered season-ending injuries, robbing the Green Bay Packers of two likely All-Pro selections in the 2025 season. But Matt LaFleur's team still has a player worth the honor, and it's punter Daniel Whelan, who produced a record-breaking season for the Packers in 2025.

Here's the case for Whelan as the NFL's first-team All-Pro punter this season:

-- By average yards per punt, Whelan ranked first in the NFL at 51.7 yards. He broke the team's franchise record by over five yards. The only qualifying punter within one yard of Whelan's 51.7-yard average was Arizona's Matt Haack, who played in only seven games.

-- Whelan ranked fourth in the NFL in net yards per punt at 43.9, which comfortably set another franchise record.

-- Among punters who do not have an indoor home stadium, Whelan ranked second in net punting average. The majority of Whelan's punts were outdoors this season.

-- At Pro Football Focus, Whelan was the No. 1 graded punter in the NFL at 90.4. His average hangtime was 4.57 seconds, per PFF, ranking third among punters.

-- How about some punting analytics? According to Puntayltics, Whelan finished the 2025 season ranked first in punter EPA above expected.

-- By EPA, Whelan only had eight individual punts that resulted in negative EPA in 2025, and two lost EPA because of penalties outside of his control. He was excellent at avoiding poor punts.

-- One of Whelan's punts was muffed inside the 5-yard line, creating a turnover that led to a game-changing touchdown against the Vikings.

-- Only two of Whelan's punts were returned for over 20 yards, and the Packers did not give up a return over 24 yards. Limiting explosive returns was a plus.

-- Whelan finished with a boom, punting eight times for 431 yards (fifth-most in team history for a single game) against the Vikings in Week 18. His net average was 50.8.

Whelan put together an impressive overall season. His average showcases his ability to hit the ball far. His net average shows an ability to directional punt, produce hangtime and limit returns. His elite PFF grade is a reflection of his incredible game-to-game consistency. His EPA highlights how he helped the Packers win football games. And he did this all while playing home games at Lambeau Field and the majority of his games outdoors.

Considering all the factors, Whelan was the NFL's best punter in 2025, and he deserves to be honored as an AP first-team All-Pro.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Making the case for Packers' Daniel Whelan as first-team All-Pro punter in 2025

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