The Tennessee Titans have no shortage of question marks up and down their roster going into the 2023 campaign, but they also have some promising young players who could have breakout seasons.
For this article, we’ve identified three in particular, with two coming on the offensive side of the ball and one of the defensive side.
One of the players on offense was the best rookie at his position in 2022, but he also could’ve done much more had the Titans involved him earlier in the season.
Meanwhile, the other offensive player showed plenty of promise but didn’t play in every game due to injury. As for my pick from the defensive side of the ball, he’s one of the team’s free-agent signings and carries a ton of upside going into his first year in Nashville.
Without further ado, a look at three Titans who are poised to have a breakout year in 2023.
WR Treylon Burks
The Titans have one of the worst wide receiving corps. in the NFL right now, which is good news for Burks, at least in terms of opportunity and production.
Burks was limited to just 11 games in his rookie campaign thanks to turf toe and a concussion stemming from an illegal hit that wasn’t flagged, but when on the field he showed he has the chops to be a WR1 in this league.
Treylon Burks with the too small to JAIRE ALEXANDER? My lord what a night.
— George Balekji (@GeorgeBalekji) November 18, 2022
After failing to adequately address wide receiver this offseason, Burks stands to be peppered with targets thanks to the lack of talent around him. As a result, Tennessee’s passing attack will heavily depend on him in 2023.
TE Chigoziem Okonkwo
Okonkwo was no doubt the best rookie tight end in 2022, with some of his numbers (yards per route run) even being on par with the best receivers and tight ends in the league.
However, things could’ve been even better had the Titans not ignored him for half of a season. Even still, Chig finished with 450 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while also flashing elite playmaking ability.
Chig Okonkwo fazendo a festa na defesa dos Chiefs! 😳🔥#NFLnaESPN #Titans #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/QtIzlmloIw
— Endzone Brasil (@Endzone_Brasil) November 7, 2022
As is the case with Burks, the Titans’ passing attack will go as far as Chig can help take it. He figures to be no worse than the No. 2 option in the Titans’ passing attack, but it wouldn’t be at all shocking if he led the team in receiving production.
OLB Arden Key
Key is the most intriguing Titans free-agent acquisition of the offseason.
At worst, the former San Francisco 49er and Jacksonville Jaguar has proven to be a very good rotational player over the past two years, with 11 sacks over 34 games despite playing just 35 and 41 percent of the snaps.
With the Titans, Key has an opportunity for the biggest role of his career, and he’s joining a defense that has no shortage of talent upfront to take attention off him, a group that includes Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry and Harold Landry.
Assuming he plays well and gains the trust of the coaching staff, Key could easily see double the amount of snaps he has in any season of his career, which, in turn, should lead to career-best numbers.
