2017 NFL rookie projections: Tennessee Titans WR Corey Davis
By Zach Goodall
Corey Davis was the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, and in Part 5 of a 32-part series, a look at his projections as a rookie.
The Tennessee Titans emerged last year as a team to look out for in the future. They improved from 3-13 in 2015 to 9-7 in 2016 and were in playoff contention until Week 16, thanks to a mightily improved run game and offensive line, and clear improvement from second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota.
But the Titans offense was missing something last year: Receiving talent. Their leading receiver was Rishard Matthews, who finished the year with 65 receptions for 945 yards and nine touchdowns. However, Matthews has never been a true No. 1 WR, and the Titans needed to add star power.
Enter Corey Davis.
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Davis, the Western Michigan standout, was the Titans selection with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. I wrote about him in my first piece for NFLSpinZone.com, stating that I believe he is poised for success in his rookie season.
The Titans obviously have their quarterback in Marcus Mariota. I need not dive much into him, as he’s proven in his two seasons that he can make smart reads and is poised in the pocket, as well as has the skill to make plays on his own.
Tennessee also holds one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, with Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin manning the tackle positions. The offensive line cleared the way for DeMarco Murray and rookie Derrick Henry to combine for 1,777 yards and 14 touchdowns.
So, all Tennessee was missing offensively was a clear WR1, and adding Davis moves the needle significantly. The former Bronco complied 331 catches for 5,278 yards and 52 touchdowns, averaging 15.9 yards per catch, in his four year college career.
Next: NFL 2017: 20 QBs with best chance at 5,000 yards
Given all of these factors, Davis clearly has a shot at being a star in Tennessee, and I assume it’ll happen pretty quickly. I’d project Davis to start his career with 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns on around 70 receptions in his rookie season. He’s going to be really, really good.