Titan Sized
FanSided

Could Corey Davis be the best Tennessee Titans receiver ever?

By Cody Milholen

NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 10: Wide receiver Corey Davis #84 of the Tennessee Titans jumps and makes a catch against David Amerson #29 of the Oakland Raiders during the first half at Nissan Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 10: Wide receiver Corey Davis #84 of the Tennessee Titans jumps and makes a catch against David Amerson #29 of the Oakland Raiders during the first half at Nissan Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Can Corey Davis be the Best Receiver in Tennessee Titans Franchise History?

In the 2017 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans selected Corey Davis with the fifth overall pick. Davis broke the FBS receiving yards record in his final year in college with 5,068 yards. Trevor Insley held the previous record with 5,005 receiving yards. Davis is known for is making yards after catch. He draws comparisons to Terrell Owens because of this. At 6’3 Davis also has the size/speed combination teams crave for in a number one receiver.

After missing the entire preseason, Davis didn’t see the field until Week 1 of the regular season, when he caught six passes for 69 yards.

The Titans have always been known for a few things: mobile quarterbacks (Steve McNair, Jake Locker, Vince Young, Marcus Mariota), a great run game (Eddie George, Chris Johnson, DeMarco Murray, Derrick Henry), and a stout defense. One thing the Titans have never seemed to achieve is having a receiver that can set the league on fire. This doesn’t mean the Titans have never had a good receiver; in fact, they’ve had many. Let’s look at some of the past receivers and see if Davis has a real shot at being the best among them.

Kevin Dyson

Dyson was with the Titans from 1998 to 2002. In that time, he caught 176 passes for an even 2,300 yards and 18 touchdowns. At 6’1 and 208 lbs., Dyson had the makeup of a number one receiver. Dyson is known for being tackled at the one-yard line in the Super Bowl loss against the Rams.

Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans /

Tennessee Titans

Derrick Mason

Mason was drafted by the Titans in 1997. He played for the Titans from 1997 to 2004. The 5’10 speedster complimented Dyson on the opposite side well. Mason caught 1,245 passes for 6,114-yards and 35 touchdowns. Mason also had back-to-back seasons with 95 and 96 receptions in 2003 and 2004.

Drew Bennett

Bennett came to the Titans in 2001 as an undrafted free agent. It proved to be a steal for the Titans, as by 2004 Bennett became the Titans’ top receiving option. Standing at 6’5 and 208 lbs., Bennett was a big target with sticky hands. In his time with Tennessee, Bennett caught 273 passes for 4,033 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Kendall Wright

Wright was a first round draft pick for the Titans in 2012. His career started hot, but due to injuries and coaching staff changes, Wright hit free agency after his rookie contract. Wright caught 280 passes for 3,244 yards and 18 touchdowns. Wright was the last Titans receiver to have over 1,000 receiving yards when he had 1,079 in 2013.

While all of these guys were good receivers, none ever set the league on fire à la Jerry Rice or Randy Moss. Today we have Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and A.J. Green setting the league on fire. Can Corey Davis become the first Titans receiver to be feared by the rest of the league? Yes, but he has a long way to go.

Just off comparisons to past Titans receivers, Davis has the size advantage over Dyson, Mason and Wright, and the athleticism advantage over Bennett. He got his career off to a nice start against the Oakland Raiders. That was the first time Davis has seen any NFL action. Once Davis hits midseason form and the game slows down for him, he will be a nightmare for defensive coordinators to cover.

Home/Titans News