Almost a year ago to this day, the Titans claimed they were “satisfied” with their group of wide receivers heading into the 2023 season. Two months later, the team decided to augment the group with the acquisition of veteran free agent DeAndre Hopkins. Still, the team finished 29th in the NFL in passing yards last year, leading to lots of investment in a new wide receiving corps.
Hopkins did his job. In 17 games, he led the team in all receiving categories with 75 catches for 1,057 yards, and seven touchdowns. He didn’t have much help, though, as his 137 targets were more than three times higher than the next most-targeted wideout, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (45), though tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo (77) and running back Tyjae Spears (70) received their fair share of targets.
The rest of the wide receiving corps provided nothing more than auxiliary numbers. After Hopkins, the next leading receivers were 30-year-old Chris Moore (22 receptions/424 yards/zero touchdowns), the undrafted Westbrook-Ihkine (28/370/3), and finally, former first-round pick Treylon Burks (16/221/0).
Burks experienced a bit of sophomore slump in 2023, even after putting up middling stats (33/444/1) in his rookie season. In both seasons, Burks has missed six contests with injury. His rookie year, turf toe landed him on injured reserve. This past season, an LCL sprain caused him to miss even more time.
Burks opportunity to turn things around in 2024 will be difficult in Tennessee. Though Moore has departed in free agency, Hopkins and Westbrook-Ikhine return next season. Additionally, the Titans invested massive capital in signing free agents Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd. Not only is this group a massive improvement over last year’s, but Hopkins also claims this is one of the best wide receiving corps he’s ever been a part of, per Michael David Smith of NBC Sports. That’s big praise for someone who shared the field with Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk.
With Ridley, Hopkins, and Boyd manning the first-team offense and Westbrook-Ikhine showing more reliability in 2023 than Burks, the 24-year-old out of Arkansas will struggle to see much of the field this year. Even if he does get some snaps, he’s going to have to earn targets over those four, as well. It’s starting to seem that if Burks is going to turn things around, it will require a change of scenery.
Before last year’s trade deadline, the Titans made it clear that running back Derrick Henry and Hopkins were…