There was a time when Treylon Burks figured to get the first crack at replacing A.J. Brown in Tennessee. Now just two years later, the Titans ostensibly have DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley and even Tyler Boyd ahead of him on the depth chart.
But give up on Burks at your own risk. He certainly hasn't yet.
Burks said Wednesday that his confidence is "through the roof" in spite of the fact he's entering a critical Year 3 after two disappointing seasons.
"I'm having fun and (I'm) healthy," Burks said. "Can't be more blessed."
Ridley appears to be leading the cheerleading charge for Burks. The Titans' splash free-agency signing said his new teammate's physical gifts are on a different level.
"This dude is a freak, like seriously, bro," Ridley said, via Fox Sports’ Ben Arthur. "He's gonna be a stud. There's no worries."
It's hard to think the Titans' new coaching staff, led by head coach Brian Callahan, had no worries when it came to Burks and their wide receiver additions this offseason. Boyd followed Callahan from Cincinnati and figures to be less of a threat to Burks' role and more of a veteran glue player. But signing Ridley to a massive contract this offseason – a year after general manager Ran Carthon signed Hopkins – suggested that Burks wasn't viewed as a sure producer this season.
After Burks' first two unproductive NFL seasons, it wasn't hard to see why there might be concern. In 22 career games (15 starts), Burks has 49 receptions (on 84 targets) for 665 yards and one touchdown, plus nine rushes for 65 more yards. Some of that can be blamed on inconsistent QB play over that span, but Burks' development has been stunted to this point.
Yet all Ridley sees is raw, sky-high potential in his new teammate.
"What I see, he's like Julio (Jones), A.J. Brown, he's like T.O. (Terrell Owens)," Ridley said. "Dude that big (and) that fast, man? He's a stud, man. You don't have to worry about him."
Have the Titans' WR additions the past two years motivated Burks?
"Yeah, 100 percent, but it's fun, just going out there, seeing what they bring to the table and then me bringing my A-game to the table," Burks said, via Easton Freeze. "So we just go out there and compete together and have fun."
Earlier in May, Callahan said Burks is “gonna play everything” in the Titans' offense and that his work to that point had been "really impressive."
Burks said he likes the fit in the offense Callahan brought with him from the Bengals, comparing it in some ways to the system in which Burks played in college at Arkansas.
"It's fun, fast, where I'm used to, similar to what I did in college," he said. "So just study it, get better at it and have fun with it."
If Burks breaks through in his third season, the Titans might boast one of the league's best receiver rooms, top to bottom, which would be a huge boost for second-year quarterback Will Levis as he looks to cement a starting spot.
Ridley believes a breakout could happen once the mental element of Burks' game catches up to the physical part.
"He's just gotta learn how to slow the game down," Ridley said, "and he'll be alright."
