Immediately following the Tennessee Titans’ controversial decision to trade star wideout A.J. Brown, general manager Jon Robinson opted to use the No. 18 overall pick on Arkansas’ Treylon Burks.
At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Burks looks a lot like Brown and plays in a similar role, excelling in pass-catching across the middle of the field as well as being a significant vertical threat.
According to Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, Burks is the Titans’ most exciting offseason addition.
If Burks can tighten his route-running technique and give more effort on blocking, he’ll become one of the NFL’s most complete wideouts. He’s already poised to become a Rookie of the Year candidate while assuming a huge role in a Tennessee offense that direly needs talented pass-catchers.
Unfortunately for Burks, instead of playing alongside Brown, he will be compared to the 24-year-old wide receiver until he can match or surpass his production.
After a rough first day of rookie minicamp and another limited session in OTAs, Burks and quarterback Ryan Tannehill hooked up on a deep ball downfield for a touchdown during practice recently.
This isn’t the first time a Titans draft pick had a rough start to his professional career. If you recall, running back Derrick Henry was seen struggling through drills in his rookie minicamp. I’d say that one turned out alright.
Burks certainly isn’t being eased into the Titans’ offense. He’s expected to be a big part of Todd Downing’s offense and, frankly, Tannehill’s improvement from last year.
And after releasing Julio Jones this offseason, the Titans are hoping that a core receiving group of Burks, Robert Woods, Austin Hooper, and Kyle Philips, among others, will be enough to keep a defense honest.
There’s no question that the Titans’ offense figures to run through Henry again in 2022, but head coach Mike Vrabel will need a legitimate passing attack to be a factor in the AFC.