Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown has been ranked in the top five of all NFL rookies for the 2019 season.
ESPN has ranked Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown as a top-five rookie for the 2019 season.
Brown had a sensational first campaign in the league. The former second-round pick finished with 52 catches for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns, and he was one of the most explosive players in the NFL overall, as his 20.2 yards per catch ranked second among all receivers.
As result of his standout season, ESPN’s Jeff Legwold ranked Brown as the No. 4 rookie from the 2019 campaign; although I’d argue that isn’t high enough.
"In the 11 games that Ryan Tannehill started at quarterback for the Titans, Brown had four 100-yard games, caught six of his eight touchdowns and averaged at least 15 yards per catch seven times. And he topped 20 yards per catch four times during that stretch. Some in the league believe Brown was actually the NFL’s best rookie by the time Week 17 rolled around."
Ahead of Brown was San Francisco 49ers pass-rusher Nick Bosa (No. 1), Oakland Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (No. 2) and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (No. 3). Brown could easily be above both Jacobs and Murray on this list.
In all, Brown finished with five 100-yard games and two multi-touchdown games. Among all rookie receivers, Brown finished fifth in catches, first in yards, first in average yards per catch and tied for first in touchdown receptions.
If you add in his lone rushing touchdown from Week 16, he had more scores than any rookie playing a position other than quarterback.
Brown came on particularly strong after quarterback Ryan Tannehill took over the starting job in Nashville in Week 7. He had four of his five 100-yard games in that span and one can only imagine the numbers Brown could have posted with a full season of Tannehill under center.
And, from Week 7 on, Brown was the third-highest graded receiver in the entire league behind only the Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones and the New Orleans Saints’ Michael Thomas, per Pro Football Focus. He was also PFF’s choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
While the Ole Miss product was snubbed by the Pro Football Writers of America for Offensive Rookie of the Year in favor of Jacobs, he still has a very good chance to win the AP NFL Rookie of the Year Award, which is the official honor that will be handed out at the NFL Honors show on February 1st, the night before the Super Bowl.