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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Shaun Calderon

7 Titans creating positive buzz at training camp

Titans Treylon Burks Ryan Tannehill Kyle Philips Malik Willis Roger McCreary Training Camp Tennessee (Organization) Caleb Farley George Walker IV

Training camp for the 2022 Tennessee Titans is well underway and there’s been plenty of positive buzz going around during the first week-plus of practices.

After dealing with multiple injury-riddled and/or ineffective rookie draft classes the past two years, it’s been nice to see practically the entire class making their presence felt in some capacity.

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The rookies aren’t the only ones who have stood out early in camp, though. Tennessee also has plenty of veteran players who are preparing for the upcoming season by practicing at a high level on a daily basis.

With the Titans approaching their third week of training camp, we’re going to highlight players who have been garnering a lot of positive publicity as of late thanks to their performances on the practice field.

With all that said, let’s take a closer look at seven players who have stood out the most since since training camp began.

WR Treylon Burks

George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports

After a tumultuous offseason that saw the Titans’ first-round pick get overly criticized for conditioning issues in the spring, Treylon Burks has been one of the most consistent players throughout training camp.

By all accounts, Burks has routinely been showing up in every aspect of practice, such as individual, one-on-one’s, seven-on-sevens, and full-team periods (11-on-11).

After months of prematurely having his work ethic questioned, Tennessee’s rookie receiver took accountability for his issue and has stacked several good days together and seems destined for a big role within the Titans’ offense.

It should also be noted that Burks has been taking reps at punt returner, and it’s easy to see why.

The rookie wideout has a phenomenal skill set that includes a special blend of size, speed, strength, and physicality. The Arkansas native is a tough tackle in the open field, and it would be wise for the Titans to get their young talent involved as much as possible.

Burks’ most notable issue thus far has been an occasional drop on catchable targets. Nonetheless, there’s been plenty more encouraging signs than not as we rapidly approach the season opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 11.

The next step for Burks’ development is to translate the success he’s had in practice over to the preseason games.

WR Kyle Philips

George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports

As camp began, I was one of those who had been suggesting that we all pump the breaks on the Kyle Philips hype train until he starts showing up outside of one-on-one’s, where he had apparently been dominating.

According to Titans Beat Writer Paul Kuharsky, Philips had been relatively pedestrian when it came to the team drills up until this report on July 30th.

Ever since this update, it seems like nearly every report surrounding Philips in the team period has been a positive one.

Even when the UCLA product has his inevitable rookie lapses, he quickly fixes the issue and doesn’t repeat the same mistake twice. Also, he has shown maturity by taking accountability for a recent miscue with Ryan Tannehill.

I won’t go as far as saying he’s a definite lock to start in the slot right out the gate, but Philips is at the point where his potential is impossible to ignore or deny.

The Titans’ 5th Round selection has become one of the most intriguing players to watch as Tennessee gets set to host their first preseason game of the year this coming Thursday.

CB Roger McCreary

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

The Titans’ second-round pick, Roger McCreary, has been one of the most consistent performers throughout camp.

Similarly to Burks, it seems like every day you see positive reports insinuating that the Auburn product performed at a high level in every practice segment.

McCreary is a versatile cornerback who is capable of playing both inside and outside. Any physical limitations he has are often neutralized by his alpha mentality and willingness to get physical with anyone across from him.

There’s still a lot of time until Week 1, but signs are trending towards the rookie cornerback having a significant role on this already stout defense.

The next step for McCreary is to convert his practice triumphs into success on the field when it truly matters. His first real test will be against the Baltimore Ravens next Thursday evening in the preseason opener.

QB Ryan Tannehill

Syndication: The Tennessean

Last year there was a concerning trend throughout training camp that most of the fanbase chose to ignore. Ryan Tannehill had been throwing interceptions on what felt like a daily basis and many attributed it to him being in a new offense and trying out new things.

That logic always concerned me because throwing picks isn’t something that you ever want to practice, let alone have it become a practice habit. Practice is about developing good habits and sharpening the details so you can play confidently and freely when it’s game time.

Fast forward to this year and you’re hearing the complete opposite. In fact, you are beginning to hear updates that mirror the ones you would often hear prior to the 2021 season, especially after Tannehill had yet to throw a pick before Thursday’s practice.

Tannehill has been locked in since he returned to the Titans facility. He’s been sharp, commanding, and efficient in everything he’s done thus far.

Needless to say, people are undoubtedly going to remain skeptical until they start to see it in real game action.

Nevertheless, it’s extremely encouraging that Tannehill seems to be back to the practice habits that helped him become a successful statistical quarterback throughout his first two years in Tennessee.

Only time will tell how his recent practice success translates to wins and losses, but as of now, anyone who is still criticizing Tannehill is clearly still latching on to the pain from the playoff game debacle.

QB Malik Willis

Syndication: The Tennessean

Training camp thus far has been an encouraging development for the Titans’ young quarterback.

There’s no denying that Malik Willis has all the talent in the world. The question has always been how long will it take for him to develop.

While it’s premature to declare anything before he’s even played in a preseason game, it’s been nice to see the Liberty product make enough strides that he’s already been taking occasional snaps with the No. 2 offense.

Make no mistake about it, Willis is still a project who needs time to fine tune the fundamentals in his game. Also, saying he’s a project quarterback isn’t some offensive term like some try to make it either.

No one is saying he’s incapable of developing into a high-caliber pro quarterback. Being a project solely means that he’s severely inexperienced within a pro-style offense and the only way he’s going to gain that experience is through hard coaching, constant repetition over time, and occasional trial by error.

Willis has shown flashes of brilliance in camp, as well as flashes of what you would expect from a raw young quarterback.

A massive win for Willis’ development would be winning the primary backup quarterback job right out the gate. To do that, he will need to continue his positive progress and show that he’s capable of leading the offense throughout the preseason.

If he consistently does that, the Liberty product is probably going to start the season as the Titans’ No. 2 quarterback. That quarterback competition will play itself out in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on that battle throughout August.

WR Racey McMath

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

This has been one of the more pleasant surprises since camp began. Racey McMath has always possessed the physical tools to become a dynamic weapon in an NFL offense.

McMath is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound wide receiver who ran a 4.39 at his Pro Day. The LSU product has all the potential in the world, and so much so that A.J. Brown even compared McMath’s skill sets to a young Julio Jones before last season.

That may be a bit of a reach, but there’s no denying that McMath has the tools to develop into a valuable weapon in the NFL. As of late, the Titans’ young wideout has been taking advantage of the opportunities that have been provided to him.

According to several reports, McMath has routinely been used as a vertical threat for the offense. And by all accounts, it seems to be working.

If McMath continues to show up on offense and in special teams throughout the preseason, you’d have to imagine he would probably be a safe bet to make the roster.

If so, that will likely only leave one spot to be had within the receiver room unless Tennessee decides to keep seven. McMath’s progress will be an interesting one to focus on as the cut-down day approaches.

WR Robert Woods

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

Robert Woods has had one of the most impressive ACL recoveries in recent memory. He tore his ACL in November and was ready to fully participate without a knee brace by the following July.

The man known as “Bobby Trees” isn’t just a feel good story, either.

By all accounts, Woods has been balling at camp and has quickly established himself as one of the leaders on this football team.

“We added Bobby Trees — that’s what I call him,” Fitzpatrick told WKRN’s Kayla Anderson. “But that’s my guy, for sure. I ask him — he’s like my big brother — I ask him all the time, have his number, we text all the time so I’m kind of just always asking him, ‘what about this? what about that?'”

The Titans will need Woods to be at his best this year so he can help to replace the production that was lost following the Brown trade.

Don’t expect to see Woods in the preseason, but barring any setbacks, No. 2 should be on the field when the Titans kick off the season.

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