Tennessee Titans: A.J. Brown is Willie McGinest’s pick for OROY
If it were up to former New England Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest, Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown would be the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown hasn’t gotten a ton of love when it comes to different media outlets making their picks for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
In fact, the only outlet we can find that has picked the Ole Miss product for the award is Pro Football Focus. Otherwise, Brown has been snubbed by the Pro Football Writers of America and, more recently, NFL.com.
Former New England Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest sees it differently the PFWA and NFL.com. He believes Brown should be the choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
https://twitter.com/Titans/status/1223282606088892419
Brown’s case is quite strong, and it certainly puts him in the conversation with guys like Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
Brown finished the 2019 campaign with 52 catches for 1,051 yards and nine total touchdowns (eight receiving).
He led rookie receivers in multiple categories and was one of the most explosive players at his position in the NFL overall, as his 20.2 yards per reception was the second-best mark in the league.
Furthermore, PFF had him graded as the third-best receiver from Week 7 on behind guys like the New Orleans’ Michael Thomas and the Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones. In that span, Brown totaled four games of 114 yards or more and seven of his nine total touchdowns.
And, as McGinest pointed out, Brown delivered when the Titans needed him the most by posting three of his five 100-yard games of 2019 in the final four weeks of the regular season.
Brown’s ability to create big plays thanks to his underrated speed and exceptional strength added an element to the Titans’ offense that it had not seen in quite some time, if ever.
He was a true game-changer for Tennessee and was one of the biggest reasons why the Titans were able to make a run to the playoffs. It’s amazing to think Brown slipped to the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
The award for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year will officially be handed out on February 1st at the 2020 NFL Honors show, so we’ll have to keep an eye out to see if Brown gets the award we think he truly deserves.