Burks' Attempt to Find Higher Level of Success in Year 2 Just Took Big Hit

Former Arkansas receiver was poised to be Tennessee Titans' No. 1 receiver, but that may no longer be the case

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Jul 26, 2023 6:56 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – It's Year 2 for former Arkansas Razorback Treylon Burks with the NFL's Tennessee Titans, and after a rough commute through his rookie season, Burks is looking to dramatically increase his production this fall. Although, big news this afternoon out of Nashville makes his journey to becoming the No. 1 guy in Tennessee much more difficult.

Before we get to the big news, let's look at what exactly constitutes success for the Warren native. Well, getting through offseason workouts in proper shape was a start. Now, Burks just has to get to the regular season in peak condition while finding a way to be healthy and available throughout the season. Last fall, Burks was hampered by injuries, including a concussion suffered on a hit that left some concerned he may never play again when it occurred. He was knocked unconscious for a scarily long time, eventually missing the next three weeks, but still managed to catch the ball.

Burks was only on the field for 11 games, but still managed to finish third on the team with 444 yards. His lone touchdown came on the knockout blow. Still, had he kept his pace of 13.5 yards per catch and continued to average three catches per game, he would have finished the season with 51 receptions for 688 yards.

Such production would have put him first on the team in receiving yards and second in receptions behind Robert Woods who finished with 527 yards and two touchdowns on 53 receptions. However, Woods didn't put up No. 1 receiver numbers, which is why the Titans didn't waste time cutting him last February, so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to conclude similar numbers would be considered a failure if put up by Burks.

It's also unlikely Burks would be satisfied. After a year of shedding his old persona built around bulk, natural gifts and hunting wild hogs by hand, he's worked hard to become a new type of player. He's no longer about living out a mythos. Instead, he's a newly married man looking to unveil a sleeker version of himself built to become a true No. 1 receiver upon which the Titans can count.

Being a true No. 1 means becoming a Top 30 receiver in the league. To do so, Burks will need to bag at least 70 receptions and over 700 yards. By his standards prior to entering the NFL, that wouldn't be hard at all. It's just a shade over 41 yards per game, That's less than half Burks' average his final season at Arkansas.

Having a full year of experience under his belt should help in that endeavor. It should also be noted his per game average would only need to improve by a single yard provided Burks manage to play all 17 regular season games. That's all it will take for him to fill the role of offensive X-factor in Tennesse as declared by Jared Dubin of CBS Sports.

Tennessee’s offense is based almost entirely around Derrick Henry. But the big man is 29 years old now, and turning 30 late in this season. He has 300-plus carries in three of the last four years, including 349 last year. After hitting 5.1 and 5.4 yards per carry in 2019 and 2020, respectively, he’s been at 4.3 and 4.4 per carry the past two years. The Titans need a quality passing-game option to emerge, and Burks is their best shot at that happening.

If for some reason Burks can't follow through on his promise, the Titans landed an insurance policy Monday who was busy casting a large shadow on the first day of Titans training camp as this story was being written. DeAndre Hopkins, who was one of the NFL's best receivers from 2013 until 2020, has agreed to terms with Tennessee. Hopkins finished with 572 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. Then, in 2022, he posted 717 yards and three touchdowns across nine games.

This should take a bit of pressure off Burks to carry the receiving corps while decreasing attention in the route tree, but it also comes with a negative. Even while playing nine games last year, Hopkins hauled in 64 receptions. That projects out to 121 catches across a full season. Anyone doing the math realizes that is 228% more receptions than Woods. That's a lot of attention not coming Burks' way.

It's potentially a difficult situation for Burks, but a great problem for the Titans to sort out. It also makes the first quarter of the preseason games worth a watch for Arkansas fans. There won't be a lot revealed, but it will at least provide a glimpse into where this thing is headed as the two receivers compete to become Ryan Tannehill's crutch for the duration of 2023. However, accounts of Wednesday's opening practice reported Tannehill going out of his way to target Hopkins often.

"Quarterback Ryan Tannehill targeted him multiple times in that drill, showing the confidence to throw to him in tight windows even as their relationship is new," wrote Nick Suss of the Nashville Tennessean. It didn't take long for the praise to extend to Tannehill also.

"Obviously it's exciting to have him on board," Tannehill said. "I've been a fan of his for a long time and admired his game for a long time. So to be able to come out and put some work in here on the first day, I was excited. It was a good start for us. We've got a long way to go, but we're starting to build that relationship from Day 1."

It should be noted Burks had notable plays also, but didn't come close to generating the buzz Hopkins drew. He's now locked into a fight for respect and trust that will play out of the next several weeks.

Fans can review Tennessee's preseason schedule and TV listings, along with the schedules for all other Razorbacks competing for NFL playing time by clicking here. The Titans open the regular season with a noon game against the Saints.