Tennessee Titans break up with AJ Brown, draft Treylon Burks, and prepare themselves for a new era of football in Nashville
The Tennessee Titans shocked fans tuning in to the 2022 NFL Draft when they decided to trade star wide receiver AJ Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the No. 18 and No. 101 pick in this year’s draft.
The Titans used the No. 18 pick to draft wide receiver Treylon Burks of the Arkansas Razorbacks, one of the most talented players in the entire draft.
Burks is the fifth former Arkansas Razorback the franchise has ever drafted and the first in six years.
The team took LB Danny Brabham in No. 6 overall in 1963, DT Henry Ford No. 26 overall in 1994, DE Carlos Hall No. 240 overall in 2002, and G Sebastian Tretola No. 193 overall in 2016.
Burks, at No. 18 overall, was the earliest Razorback taken in an NFL draft since legendary college running back Darren McFadden was selected No. 4 overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Let’s take a look at some reasons why this was such a brilliant move for the Tennessee Titans in eschewing AJ Brown in favor of Treylon Burks.
Why the Tennessee Titans’ move in the 2022 NFL Draft was brilliant
No. 1: Treylon Burks has all the talent to be a star for the Tennessee Titans
“Deebo Samuel with a power-up mushroom.”
That’s how The Ringer described stud wideout Treylon Burks in their draft guide leading up to the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The 6’2″ Arkansas standout had a phenomenal junior season for the Razorbacks, fueling the team to a surprisingly great season in the SEC.
Against the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, and the rest of the conference cohorts, the 225 lb. Razorback finished last season with 1,104 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 66 receptions. He also chipped in 11 rushing attempts for 112 yards and a touchdown.
The Razorback had six 100+ yard receiving games during last year’s college football season, including a 179-yard, 2 TD performance at Alabama.
Burks can absolutely ball. His size, athleticism, strength, and his famously large hands are going to produce a lot of offense for the Titans.
No. 2: Trading AJ Brown was a smart long-term move for Tennessee Titans
Pro Bowl wide receiver AJ Brown has been an undeniably great talent for the Titans since arriving on the scene as the No. 51 overall pick out of Ole Miss in 2019.
He’s played 43 games for Tennessee, catching 185 passes for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns. He has easily been one of QB Ryan Tannehill’s favorite targets.
Brown had reportedly been seeing several, shall we say “lesser,” wide receivers getting paid tons of money this offseason. He, along with San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Deebo Samuel reportedly wanted new contracts based on the current market value.
The Titans and Brown tried to work on a new deal, but things were going nowhere fast, according to CBS Sports. Brown, clearly unhappy, was actually seen working out and catching passes from Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts just days before the team ultimately traded him to that very team on the first night of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Moments after the trade was completed, Brown and the Eagles agreed to a new 4-year, $100 million contract extension.
The Titans had no desire to dig that deep into their pocketbooks for a player that has played 16 games in just one of his three seasons or for a player that has caught just two touchdowns in five career post-season games.
No. 3: Treylon Burks will fit in perfectly with the Tennessee Titans’ culture
Burks will slot in nicely in place of Brown next season, giving the Titans a dynamic weapon on the field. But, it’s his personality, interests, and passions outside of football that will resonate with Titan fans.
Burks has an edge to him that few other NFL players can claim: wild boar hunter. Burks hunts feral hogs with his bare hands, hunting dogs, and a knife.
The man is an avid fisherman too, evident by his social media feed in the days leading up to the draft. Burks was seen celebrating an impressive catch of several fish he had on a line.
Being fixated in the heart of Nashville— home to a culture that embraces a southern lifestyle of hunting, country music, and working hard while being laid back— fits Burks to a T.
I’m not sure there is a better fit geographically or athletically for Burks than with the Titans.
No. 4: The trade enabled the Tennessee Titans to acquire more picks in the 2022 NFL Draft
In the initial trade to draft Burks, Tennessee didn’t have to give up any draft capital to select the wide receiver.
After the AJ Brown trade, the Titans were able to add the No. 18 pick and No. 101 pick in this year’s draft to their war chest of picks.
The Titans, of course, used that No. 18 pick to draft Burks, but then did some more wheeling and dealing. They used their own pick, No. 26, and packed it with the No. 101 pick acquired from Philadelphia in the Brown trade, to the New York Jets for a bevy of 2022 draft picks.
The Titans received the No. 35 overall pick, No. 69, and No. 163 pick after the trade with the Jets. So, after the two draft-day trades, the Tennessee Titans now own one Round 2 pick and two selections in each of Round 3, 4, 5, and 6.
The Titans have essentially parlayed AJ Brown into Treylon Burks and the No. 35, No. 69, and No. 163 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
No. 5: Tennessee Titans get the entire state of Arkansas with Treylon Burks
Since Arkansas has zero professional sports teams in the state, the Arkansas Razorbacks are king.
Arkansans follow the Razorbacks religiously and are fiercely loyal to the players that compete for the school, even after they leave and head to the NFL.
So, the Titans organization should expect a nice influx of fans pledging their support to the team beginning next season.
Even better is the fact that Burks, a native of Warren, Ark. will be competing in Nashville just 400 miles from his hometown. That should enable him to have a nice supporting base of family and friends to help him through a long rookie season in 2022.