Entering his second year with the Tennessee Titans, Dorial Green-Beckham has the opportunity to be Marcus Mariota’s go to guy this season and moving forward. In his rookie season with the team Green-Beckham posted 32 receptions, 549 yards, and hauled in 4 touchdowns. When he got to Nashville, there weren’t any questions or concerns about his ability or talent to play in the NFL. The main things that concerned scouts were his off the field issues in college and as one scout put it, “suspect work ethic”.
The first word that comes to mind when you look at the wide receiver is physical. The 6’5″ 237 pound frame of the second year player is one thing that set him apart from other wide receivers. He may not have played to his build in his rookie year, but with the identity of the team moving forward being physical, it seems as though this year that will be very different.
If you look back on DGB’s rookie season, he had two games in the final five games of the year where he showed flashes of what he is capable of. When the Titans played the Jaguars in Nashville the first Sunday of December, Green-Beckham caught 5 passes for 119 yards and 1 touchdown.
Later in the month when the team traveled to Foxborough, he hauled in 6 passes for 113 yards. It was obvious in those two games that he was becoming more comfortable in the offense and with Mariota.
For his first year in the NFL and after being away from football for a year, last season was pretty impressive for the big wideout from Oklahoma. Ken Whisenhunt stated early in the year last year he wanted to ease DGB into the offense, but when he got fired everything changed from that standpoint.
Mike Mularkey, who took over for Whisenhunt and is now the head man for the Titans, threw DGB into the water and made him either sink or swim. Granted, there were times where Dorial seemed out of place and uncomfortable but it seemed like he more so swam than sank.
When it all boils down to it, you want to see a big year from a player who was drafted in the second round the year before. Expectations for Dorial Green-Beckham entering his second year should be high but not too high for fans. He definitely has the talent and ability to go with his size on the field, it’s just whether or not he puts it all together during his second season.