The Tennessee Titans have a new coaching staff, and with a new coaching staff comes a new identity.
For years, the Titans have been a run-first offense that has only had one or two reliable options to throw the ball to. In 2023, DeAndre Hopkins led the Titans with 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. No other wide receiver on the roster even caught 30 passes.
Thus, new head coach Brian Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon saw the position as a pressing need this offseason.
The Titans were aggressive in free agency and dished out a whopping $50 million in guaranteed money to Calvin Ridley. Ridley and Hopkins should give the Titans an enviable one-two punch at the position.
The team also retained Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who is a solid depth piece after tallying at least 25 catches and 370 yards in each of the last three seasons.
The team will likely add another receiver in the 2024 NFL draft, but before that happens let’s go ahead and take a look at the wide receiver depth chart as it stands today.
| Starter | Second string | Third string |
| DeAndre Hopkins | Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | Tre’Shaun Harrison |
| Calvin Ridley | Colton Dowell | Kearis Jackson |
| Treylon Burks | Kyle Philips | Mason Kinsey |
Other than Ridley being added, the only notable difference from last season is Chris Moore, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals.
The hope is that Burks will flourish playing with Hopkins and Ridley. His career has been disappointing to this point, but there will be much less pressure on the former Arkansas Razorback now.
While Burks and NWI currently sit as WR3 and WR4, respectively, it’s likely the team will bring in a receiver in the 2024 NFL draft to compete with them for playing time.
Kinsey and Philips are slot-only options, and Jackson provides value as a return man. Kinsey, Philips, Harrison, Dowell, and Jackson could end up competing for one or two roster spots.
Ultimately, I believe the depth chart will look something like this after final cuts are made:
| Starter | Second string | Third string |
| DeAndre Hopkins | Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | |
| Calvin Ridley | Drafted WR | Kearis Jackson |
| Treylon Burks | Kyle Philips |
I imagine Burks will work mostly from the slot in three-receiver sets, but the Titans have a slew of options on how to deploy their top three, as Ridley and Hopkins are capable of lining up inside and out.
Ridley has breakaway speed and is a crisp route-runner, while Hopkins is the possession receiver who catches everything.
Allowing Burks to work out of the slot could do wonders for his game. The wide receiver flourished out of the slot in college thanks to his YAC (yards after catch) ability and would likely do the same in the pros.
It helps to also have Philips, who has flashed as a slot receiver in the past.
