Much of the discussion surrounding the Tennessee Titans this offseason has been the team’s decision to trade superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown during the 2022 NFL draft.
The Titans used one of the picks from the Philadelphia Eagles to take Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks with the No. 18 overall pick.
The move was puzzling, given that the Titans’ primary objective heading into next season was to surround quarterback Ryan Tannehill with more weapons after a down year in 2021.
CBS Sports recently ranked each team’s offensive triplet ahead of 2022 and pegged the trio of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Derrick Henry and wide receiver Treylon Burks as the No. 19 group, which placed them in the “more questions than answers” tier of the rankings.
How much higher would these guys rank with A.J. Brown instead of Burks? A lot, methinks. How much higher than that would they rank had Henry not missed a big chunk of last season with a foot injury? Would they be a threat to crack the top 10? Can’t rule it out.
As much as I disagreed with CBS Sports’ assessment of the Titans’ defense being ‘somewhat unlikely’ to finish as a top-10 unit, I can’t say that I disagree with the triplet rankings here. If anything, maybe veteran wideout Robert Woods replaces Burks alongside Henry and Tannehill.
The Titans’ success in 2022 will be predicated on the offense’s ability to move the football.
Henry returned for Tennessee’s playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but he was largely held in check, rushing for 62 yards on 20 attempts and a touchdown.
By all accounts, Henry will be 100 percent come Week 1 of the 2022 season. If his offseason workout videos are any indication, “The King” will be ready and motivated to lead the league in rushing again.
That said, given the turnover at the wide receiver position — and loss of NFL experience — it’s not difficult to comprehend why CBS Sports believes the Titans have more questions than answers heading into next season.
