Titans midseason rookie grades: Biggest impact, upside and disappointment

Biggest impact rookie: A.J. Brown

A.J. Brown’s confidence has been on full display from the second he walked into the Titans’ building after being drafted in April.

That confidence has transferred to the field on Sundays, as he consistently looks like he believes that he is one of the best players out on the field at any given time — and more often than not, he is.

His massive physique allows him to manhandle corners that attempt to press him at the line of scrimmage, while his crafty route running allows him to separate from those corners that prefer to give him some space. Once he has the ball in his hands, he is a problem for defenses.

Prior to the quarterback change, the former Ole Miss star receiver was relatively neutralized, as he saw an average of two to three targets per game due to an inept passing attack. However, Brown has been electrifying anytime he has gotten his hands on the ball due to his physical presence and yards after catch (YAC) ability.

The Titans’ second-round pick has displayed a strong connection with new quarterback Ryan Tannehill ever since the QB change. The production from the wide receivers as a whole suddenly came to life the second that Tannehill took over during the team’s Week 6 loss to the Broncos.

Since then, Brown has seen almost double the amount of targets per game and takes advantage of them more often than not. Brown could be a huge problem for opposing defenses for years to come if the Titans are able to figure out their inconsistent quarterback situation.

Among rookie receivers, Brown currently ranks fourth in catches (22), third in yards (348), fourth in yards per catch (15.8) and tied for third in touchdowns (3).