Things haven’t gone so smoothly for former Tennessee Titans first-round wide receiver Treylon Burks.
In two seasons with the Titans, Burks has caught just 49 passes for 660 yards and just a single touchdown pass.
Following his lackluster performance, the Titans have since moved quickly to sign free agents like DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley over the last year.
Despite Burks’ drop on the depth chart, the two Titans veteran receivers have been quite complimentary of the young wideout.
Titans Teammates Speak Glowingly of Treylon Burks
Since the start of OTAs, both Ridley and Hopkins have been extremely complimentary of Tennessee’s first-round pick from 2022.
“This dude is a freak,” Ridley said after practice. “Seriously, bro. … He’s like Julio [Jones], AJ Brown. T.O. Dude that big, that fast, man? He’s a stud. You don’t have to worry about him.”
Calvin Ridley on Treylon Burks: “This dude is a freak. Seriously, bro. … He’s like Julio, AJ Brown. T.O. Dude that big that fast, man? He’s a stud. You don’t have to worry about him.” #titanup pic.twitter.com/qaC4GA3NIe
— Ben Arthur 🇬🇭 (@benyarthur) May 29, 2024
Even a former first-team All-Pro and future Hall-of-Famer like Hopkins has gotten into the act of propping up the Arkansas wideout.
Here's the video of DeAndre Hopkins' answers to three Treylon Burks questions https://t.co/EXsEgVCrys pic.twitter.com/hqK6SOOtvx
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) May 21, 2024
Both Burks and Ridley have had successful NFL careers to this point and are hoping their kind words will help invigorate their younger teammate.
“It brings confidence,” Burks said on the team’s website. “It helps with confidence, them being there, helping me. Them being there asking me questions for feedback. It’s fun.”
Burks understands that this is a big year to save his NFL career and show that he belongs at this level in the first place.
Burks in Make or Break Season
It’s always hard to tell how a young player’s development will go. Some make impacts immediately into their NFL careers, while others need time and patience.
For most players, it takes three years to show if they have the talent needed to compete at the NFL level. Burks is entering that key third year.
The former Arkansas wideout has had a target on his back as the player Tennessee traded All-Pro A.J. Brown for back during the 2022 NFL Draft.
The fact that Burks has been unable to produce at the level Brown did during his short run with the Titans has only frustrated fans even more.
With the third year usually a decider for teams to opt-in for a rookie’s fifth-year option, the Titans are placing Burks in a “make or break” season behind the likes of Ridley and Hopkins.
With more NFL experience under his belt and playing alongside two very talented receivers, the time is now for Burks Burks to become a high-impact playmaker.
Titans’ New-Look Offense in 2024
It’s not just Burks who will be under the microscope this season.
Quarterback Will Levis surprisingly fell to the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and impressed in limited action last season.
With Levis under center and a plethora of wideouts now at his disposal, new Titans head coach Brian Callahan has a chance to see just how good his offense is after a difficult 2023 season that saw the end of the Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry era.
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While it won’t be easy to replace Henry’s production, the Titans still have a strong running back room even without the former All-Pro. In free agency, they signed former Cowboys RB Tony Pollard, and 2023 third-round pick Tyjae Spears figures to have a bigger role this season.
This duo gives the Titans one of the stronger running back tandems in the NFL.
Additionally, the Titans made massive strides to improve an offensive line that struggled mightily in 2023.
In free agency, the Titans signed Lloyd Cushenberry III to be their starting center, and for the second year in a row, they used their first-round selection on an offensive lineman, drafting OT JC Latham with the No. 7 pick a year after taking Peter Skoronski 11th overall.
The Titans’ offseason approach was to surround Levis with more talent on offense and help him develop.
If Burks can play up to the potential that got him drafted in the first round just a couple of years ago, Levis will have one of the best wide receiver trios in the NFL.