A good break down of Tennessee Titans WR Corey Davis.
The word “bust” is thrown around too casually by people today, and people are quick to incorrectly put that label on players that don’t have immediate breakouts like Tennessee Titans WR Corey Davis.
It is easy to forget the fact that if the Titans would have thrown the ball at a league average rate in 2018, he would have been a 1,200 yard receiver.
However, because A.J. Brown looks so explosive and impressive as a rookie, it is causing some Titans fans to break out the B-word again for Corey Davis.
In his weekly mailbag, Jim Wyatt addressed this issue very well:
"Corey Davis is not a bust. He’s gotten better each year, he’s been a regular starter, he’s made game-winning catches, and he’s made plays when given opportunities. And you’re right – he does the dirty work. The Titans desperately needed a receiver in the 2017 NFL Draft, and Davis went 5th overall to the Titans, Mike Williams went 7th to the Chargers and John Ross went 9th to the Bengals. Those were the only receivers taken in the first-round that year. Davis has started more games than Williams and Ross, and he has more catches and receiving yards than both those guys as well. He’s a better blocker than Williams and Ross. Sure, you can look at other guys taken after Davis in that draft and say ‘The Titans should’ve taken this guy or that guy instead.’ But you can do that in every draft, for every team."
Jim is right, aside from having a huge statistical season, Davis has checked every other box you want from a starting NFL WR. Game winning catches, big plays in crucial moments, doing the dirty work to help turn short catches or runs into long gains, all of it.
Now, you could say that he isn’t an elite WR but look at the 1st receiver taken in the last eight drafts:
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2019: Hollywood Brown (explosive, but only one game over 100 yards this season)
2018: D.J. Moore (Is the second option in a pass heavy offense)
2017: Corey Davis
2016: Corey Coleman
2015: Amari Cooper (traded by his own team, but definitely a great receiver)
2014: Sammy Watkins
2013: Tavon Austin
2012: Justin Blackmon
It isn’t like the past decade of drafts is littered with elite receivers being taken highly and Corey Davis is the one guy without a monster season. No, history shows that scheme and QB play factor into productivity as much as anything else.
No matter what your opinion is on what Corey Davis should be based on his draft position, you can’t call him a bust and I think he goes down as maybe the third or fourth best player on that list I mentioned above.
For a team that was desperate for WR help, they found it in Davis and now that he and A.J. Brown are on the field together it feels like the Titans have real threats. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who was drafted where, it only matters what the result is and I think the results right now are very positive.