Tennessee Titans AJ Brown will be the NFL’s next elite receiver

Rookie Stats

Brown’s rookie season performance asserted his position as the Titans top receiver in 2019, but his stats also put the first-year player up among the league’s already established stars.

While his reception numbers are relatively low at 52, the rest of the stats Brown was able to compile in 16 games more than made up for it. Because while he wasn’t catching passes as much as football’s best receivers, what he did when he got the ball in his hands was impressive.

Brown was able to break the elusive 1,000-yard mark in receiving at 1,051 yards, putting him at 24th in the NFL in receiving yards and 1st among the rookie class.

At 20.2 yards per catch, Brown’s explosive ability placed him at second in the NFL in that metric- and helped him break into the top ten league-wide in receiving touchdowns with eight.

But Brown’s rookie numbers weren’t just impressive for 2019. What Brown was able to accomplish in his first year has his name up there with some historic rookie pass-catchers.

Brown became just the 18th rookie in NFL history to record over 1,000 yards receiving, with his final numbers placing him ahead of current greats like Mike Thomas and Keenan Allen, and closely behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Michael Thomas for receiving yards in a rookie year. His eight touchdowns also have Brown tied for 17th for rookie receiving touchdowns in the league’s 100-year history.

Once Brown found his footing in the Titans offense, he was difficult to slow down, and has the numbers to prove it. But Brown’s role in Arthur Smith’s offensive scheme gives the receiver the potential to build on those numbers, and be more than a one-season wonder.