There's no way around it: Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks is still trying to play like a first-round draft pick.
Of the 28 receivers selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, 20 were playing in the league last year. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), the sports analytics company that measures the individual performance of every player, Burks ranked 20th out of 20.
In PFF's 2023 rankings of 200 NFL receivers, he lands at No. 177.
And so Burks enters 2024, his third season, as one of the Titans' most significant question marks. If the Titans are going to improve on last year's 6-11 record, they'll need Burks to perform at a level closer to his peers.
Titans general manager Ran Carthon, speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, said that the team still believes in Burks and that a healthy offseason could be huge for his success.
"I do know Treylon is off this offseason, training with D-Hop (DeAndre Hopkins) and some other pros around the league, which I think will be good for him to see how other pros prepare and get ready for the season, so he can add that to his game. I've seen a couple clips of him running routes and doing stuff in the offseason," Carthon said. "And for him, it's an offseason where he's not trying to get healthy. He can work on perfecting his craft as opposed to trying to get back to get healthy."
Injuries have limited Burks' development.
He missed six games in 2022. He started 2023 with a knee injury, later suffered a concussion, and missed six games again. His production dropped to only 16 catches for 221 yards.
"The knee injury was probably the hardest one for me, just because of how hard I had trained throughout the offseason," Burks told tennesseetitans.com at the end of the season. "But having faith in God, my wife, family, and teammates made it a lot easier for me to deal with it."
Burks vs. fellow first-rounders
The six wide receivers selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, with their 2023 and career statistics:
Treylon Burks
Round 1, 18th pick
2023: 16 catches, 221 yards (PFF rank: 177)
Career: 49 catches, 665 yards, 1 touchdown
Drake London
Atlanta Falcons
Round 1, 8th pick
2023: 69 catches, 905 yards, 2 touchdowns (PFF rank: 26)
Career: 141 catches, 1,771 yards, 6 touchdowns
Garrett Wilson
New York Jets
Round 1, 10th pick
2023: 95 catches, 1,042 yards, 3 touchdowns (PFF rank: 44)
Career: 178 catches, 2,145 yards, 7 touchdowns
Chris Olave
New Orleans Saints
Round 1, 11th pick
2023: 87 catches, 1,123 yards, 5 touchdowns (PFF rank: 17)
Career: 159 catches, 2,165 yards, 9 touchdowns
Jameson Williams
Detroit Lions
Round 1, 12th pick
2023: 24 catches, 354 yards, 2 touchdowns (PFF rank: 108)
Career: 25 catches, 395 yards, 3 touchdowns
Jahan Dotson
Washington Commanders
Round 1, 16th pick
2023: 49 catches, 518 yards, 4 touchdowns (PFF rank: 136)
Career: 84 catches, 1,041 yards, 11 touchdowns
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