The Tennessee Titans stole headlines on draft day when they traded away star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles in a deal that netted them a first-round pick.
They used that pick on a replacement for Brown, Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks, who has a similar skill set to the former second-round pick out of Mississippi.
Burks flashed his lofty potential during Sunday’s regular-season opener against the New York Giants, but the Titans got some big plays from a more unexpected source in their 2022 rookie class.
Kyle Phillips, a fifth-round pick out of UCLA, was targeted a team-high nine times Sunday, leading the Titans with six receptions for 66 yards. His biggest play was a 21-yard reception that put the Titans in field goal range in the final seconds.
Big time throw and catch.
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— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) September 11, 2022
That potential game-winning kick may have missed, and the Titans may have lost a heartbreaker, but it’s telling that a veteran quarterback in Ryan Tannehill not only targeted Phillips more than any other receiver Sunday, but also went to him when he needed a big completion with the game on the line.
Burks may be a future star, but Phillips appears to be a huge steal.