Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
Treylon Burks Growing Into Role As Titans No. 1 Receiver
NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Titans selected former Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks with the No. 18 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft as a replacement for A.J. Brown, who had been traded away to Philadelphia earlier on day one of that draft.
While the fallout of Brown's absence from the offense was apparent last season, Burks selection was expected to ease some of that lost production. Based on the statistics, Burks did relieve some of that loss, but because of injuries and other issues, he fell short of the expected contributions of a first-round talent.
Entering his second campaign with the Titans, Burks has transformed his body and approach to the game, and the results of that work have begun to show in him on and off the field.
Per a report from Paul Kuharsky, Burks hired a private pilot and took a 5 a.m. flight when "his American Airlines flight to Dallas from Northwest Arkansas National Airport in Bentonville, Ark. was delayed until after 9 a.m., which meant he would miss his connection to Nashville, and Walmart leased every rental car in the area until Thursday."
That commitment to being on time for the first day of the team's OTA program was the first sign that Burks is ready to accept the role as the team's top target.
It is also apparent when watching Burks work with coaches on his techniques and his attention to detail as he goes through extra individual work with receivers coach Rob Moore.
Burks talked about his confidence after spending the offseason in the team's strength and conditioning program.
"Honestly, it gives me a lot of confidence coming in off another offense (last season), and knowing that I'm not clueless coming in as a rookie like I was last year," said Burks during his first media appearance earlier this month. "Just actually being around the coaches all offseason, studying with them and figuring out what they want me to do and just staying on top of my game."
That new confidence has shown itself in his performance, which quarterback Ryan Tannehill spoke of on Wednesday following the team's OTA session.
"Treylon's grown a lot. I'm really excited about what I've seen from him," said Tannehill. " He's flying around. He's moving fast; he's moving efficiently. He's coming out; he's working; he's in shape."
"All great things, obviously. He's been able to catch the ball and get open his whole time here, but all the little things that go along with playing the position, being able to see the field, (and) understanding the full concept as opposed to just a route and how he fits in the whole picture, all those things," continued Tannehill. "I think he's playing with a lot of confidence right now, so we just want to keep him going, keep him growing. He's doing a lot of really, really good things right now, and I'm really happy with his growth, and I want to keep pushing forward."
While there is still room for growth and improvement, at this point, it's evident Burks has accepted the role as the top receiver for this team in 2023.
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