Titans Rookie Receiver Should Change Roles

The Tennessee Titans will use a player differently than what he did in college.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike pulls in a pass during an NFL football minicamp. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans selected Florida wide receiver Chimere Dike with the first pick in the fourth round of the NFL Draft this spring.

Dike ran a lot of vertical routes while playing for the Florida Gators, but A to Z Sports insider Easton Freeze doesn't expect that to be the case with the Titans.

"The thing about Dike is how much I expect his role in the NFL to change from how he was used in college. At Florida, his usage was pretty disgusting. I'm not sure anybody was forced to run a further distance in 2024 than Dike was, who apparently was required to run no less than 40 yards every time he was in the route. He was on that Cardio King diet, running deep crossers until the cows come home," Freeze wrote.

"That's not how the Titans are going to use him at the next level. I actually think they'd like him to develop into a starting role as a big slot option, utilizing his speed and acceleration up the middle of the field. He'll play on the outside as well and has three-position versatility in that way, but I think we'll see a lot more of him aligned inside and running a more diverse route tree than he did at Florida."

The NFL is far different from the college game, even the SEC, which is deemed as one of the more pro-ready conferences in the country.

Dike will have to adapt to the professional game, which could lead to a different role within the offense.

The Titans are building the offense around rookie quarterback Cam Ward and figured Dike could be a complementary piece for him someday.

Dike and the Titans report to training camp on July 22.

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