Tennessee Titans Rookie Season Review: WR Kendall Wright

Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

It’s funny to think how quickly Kendall Wright, and his draft selection, went from reviled to applauded from the Tennessee Titans faithful. I think it’s safe to say neither fans nor pundits alike had this guy anywhere on our radar, but after we looked at his tape and got to know him, we were happy to have him. All of this was before any actual football was played, of course.

Now, the immediate surprise that followed his pick was really predicated on the fact that, after the start to his 2011 season, a healthy Kenny Britt was going to come back and have a beast of a year. He didn’t have quite the impact many expected, though, and was featured about as evenly as Wright. It’s hard to say how much the presence of Wright affected his looks this season.

Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

So how did Wright pan out his first year? If you watched the Tennessee Titans throughout the season, you noticed that he was definitely a featured player in the offense, even if he didn’t have a huge year statistically. His numbers on the season when all was said and done worked out to 64 receptions, which he led the team in, for 626 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Only Nate Washington had more yardage at 746.  Additionally, Tennessee didn’t have the strongest play at quarterback this year, so it would have been difficult for any but the most elite receivers to put up gaudy numbers.

If Wright was limited by anything, it was an often times confusing offensive attack employed throughout the season by Loggains, and Palmer before him. The team tried to force Wright the ball by way of receiver screens that never seemed to garner any yards, and he wasn’t used as the deep vertical threat the way he was at Baylor. Suffice to say, the next offensive coordinator needs to find a way to get Kendall the ball in medium and deep routes, as this seems to be where he is most effective. Using him as a short-route, DeSean Jackson type threat would not seem to play to his strengths, which is surprising given his tangibles.

Kendall Wright will no doubt prove to be a strong addition to the Tennessee Titans franchise. We are currently experiencing some growing pains on both sides of the ball, but in just his first year of professional football, Wright has shown that he is already on par with respected veterans of the league, and he will only continue to get better as he matures as a player, and the offense begins to find it’s identity.

Grade: B

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