In their most recent mock draft, Pro Football Focus has the Tennessee Titans taking Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Here’s what PFF’s Sam Monson had to say about the pick:
“The Titans offense is built on the backs of athletic freaks, as Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown and Julio Jones represent some of the most gifted athletes in the NFL.
“Burks is a perfect stylistic addition to the group. He has some work to do from a route-running standpoint, but if he finds a crease of space, he can outrun the entire defense. He also has the power to gain yards after contact. Burks was deployed in creative ways in college and could be used in the same way initially in the NFL.”
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound wideout had his best collegiate season in 2021, reeling in career-highs in catches (66), receiving yards (1,104) and total touchdowns (11).
Interestingly enough, we recently did an article naming Burks as someone the Titans could target in the first round at No. 26 overall. You can read that here.
Burks would be a great fit for the Titans, as not only does he bring game-breaking speed, but he’s a physical wideout who can gain yards after the catch by breaking tackles.
Putting the specific prospect aside for a moment, would the Titans really go with a wide receiver in Round 1? It’s definitely possible.
The only receiver with a certain future at the moment is A.J. Brown, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal but is expected to get a contract extension from the Titans at some point.
Julio Jones has two more years left on his current deal but is turning 33 in February and there’s no guarantee he’ll finish it out.
Dez Fitzpatrick is also a wild card. One of the Titans’ fourth-round picks last year, Fitzpatrick didn’t even make the roster out of training camp and played sparingly in his rookie campaign. Even when he did see the field, it was obvious he wasn’t ready for prime time.
If Tennessee doesn’t have a positive outlook for Fitzpatrick and Julio for the next few years and beyond, that could be the driving force that makes them take a receiver in the early rounds.
