Tennessee Titans: Corey Davis should not be taken lightly
The Tennessee Titans selected Corey Davis with a top-five pick last season and, despite limited production in 2017, he could shine in his second year.
Right out of the gate in the 2017 season, it appeared that the Tennessee Titans were going to use rookie wide receiver Corey Davis heavily in the offense. In a Week 1 loss to Oakland, Davis was targeted 10 times, hauling in six receptions for 69 yards. However, his season took a downward turn after that.
Davis dealt with injuries throughout the season that kept him off the field for half of September and all of October. Once he did return, the Titans offense — which was admittedly less than expected under now-fired head coach Mike Mularkey — just didn’t seem to feature the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft as often as one might expect.
However, when Davis was needed most last year, he showed the type of talent that he possesses. After the Titans knocked off the Chiefs in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs (Davis had four catches for 35 yards), Davis emerged as arguably the best offensive option for Tennessee against the Super Bowl-bound Patriots.
In the 35-14 loss to New England, Davis accounted for both Titans touchdowns as part of his five receptions for 63 yards on the evening. While it wasn’t a blistering effort, the highlight-reel and ability of the then-rookie caught everyone’s eyes. Really for the first time in his first year in the league, he looked like a player worth of the fifth-overall pick.
As Titans veterans are set to report to training camp on July 25, there is reason to be excited about this team. They have a dynamic running back combo in Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis. That duo goes behind one of the most underrated offensive lines in football. What’s more, their defense has improved as well, most notably with first-round pick Rashaan Evans at linebacker and free-agent addition Malcolm Butler at cornerback.
Perhaps most important for this team is the overhaul of the coaching staff. Mike Vrabel takes over as the head coach in 2018 and is joined by new offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur. The latter spent last season working with Sean McVay in turning around the Rams offense.
But lost in these new additions and new looks is what Davis could be. He enters camp healthy, which wasn’t the case truly last offseason as he recovered from a foot surgery. Obviously it also wasn’t the case for much of the regular season as well.
In the postseason loss to the Pats, Davis showcased all that he can offer to an offense. He has the speed to beat teams over the top, the footwork to beat his man in his route and the size and strength to win in the air. Put simply, all the tools are there for him to be a prototypical No. 1 receiver, and a darn good one at that.
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With a new-look offense and health on his side, Davis could be in store for a true breakout season in 2018. Not only do players make a jump from year one to two, but all the pieces are in place for Davis to truly be given the opportunity to shine.