There is serious competition for the Titans final spot at WR.
There is no debating who the Tennessee Titans will roll with at the wide receiver position heading into the 2020 season, at least at the top of the group.
A.J. Brown and Corey Davis are entrenched as the starters in two-wide sets, with Adam Humphries manning the slot. Kalif Raymond has earned the role of deep threat/primary backup with an impressive end to the season last year and a focused offseason.
The Titans seem to really like Cameron Batson and he will likely make the team as the fifth receiver on the depth chart.
Because Raymond and Batson are relatively inexperienced, having more depth behind them would seem to be a wise decision. Raymond had played 12 total games since debuting in 2016 before landing in Tennessee, where he played in 10 games and caught a total of 10 passes. Batson has played in 11 games and caught eight passes.
It makes even more sense when you consider the respective physical profiles of the Titans’ third, fourth and fifth receivers: Humphries is 5-11, 195 pounds; Raymond is 5-9, 185 pounds; Batson is 5-8, 175 pounds. Those body types generally can’t take much of a beating in the NFL. Humphries and Raymond both missed time last year with injuries, while Batson missed the entire season due to a mid-summer shoulder injury.
Given that information, we can be led to believe that the Titans will feel the need to carry a sixth pass-catcher into the season, though the main question is who will earn that spot without preseason games.
Rashard Davis
The favorite for the final receiver spot, Davis has drawn rave reviews all summer from the coaching staff and media. Davis caught one pass for the Tennessee Titans last season and has punt return experience, which could give him the nod over his competition.
Over four years at James Madison University, Davis caught 114 passes for 1,549 yards and 11 touchdowns. While those aren’t eye-popping numbers, his punt return stats are. During his final year in school, Davis averaged 28.4 yards on 15 returns and took four of those to the house.
Given his punt return production in college and the Titans having lived through debacle after debacle in the returns department over the past few years, Davis could easily sneak his way on to the roster.
Moreover, if you think about how much success this team has seen with guys who can create after the catch, Davis could be someone that adds another dimension to an offense focused on power and size.
Cody Hollister
While Rashard Davis is a diminutive, shifty playmaker, Hollister is the complete opposite. Standing at 6-4 and weighing 215 pounds, Hollister is a big-bodied, tall high-pointer whose game doesn’t really resemble any other Titans’ receiver on the roster.
That could give him a leg up on the competition if the coaching staff feels the position group is lacking in height with Humphries, Raymond and Batson all measuring in at under six feet tall.
The brother of Seattle Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister, Cody has appeared in only one NFL game, though he’s still relatively young at 26 years old. He caught two passes for 13 yards in the Tennessee Titans’ Week 13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in 2019. In college, Hollister played in 15 games during his time at Arkansas, turning 27 catches into 342 yards and a touchdown.
A concern might be that Firkser is just a better version of Hollister who can block a little more, but then again would it be so bad to have two big, sure-handed wide receivers who aren’t afraid to take a hit?
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
A bit of an unknown and not someone who garnered much attention when he was picked up as an undrafted free agent, Westbrook-Ikhine has the most impressive production profile of any of the other receivers mentioned, including Raymond and Batson.
As a sophomore in the Big Ten Conference at Indiana, he posted 995 yards and six touchdowns on just 54 catches. Unfortunately, he missed all of the following season due to injury and couldn’t regain the same form over his final two seasons, though he did post 84 catches, 1,162 yards, and nine touchdowns during that span.
At 6-2, 211, he has a similar build to Tajae Sharpe (though notably stronger) and he produced in a tough conference. Westbrook-Ikhine might be a dark horse to make the roster, but don’t bet against the talented 23-year-old.
The Tennessee Titans are already set with “big” pass-catchers like Corey Davis, A.J. Brown and you could even throw in tight ends like Jonnu Smith, Anthony Firkser and MyCole Pruitt. But, if you are building a bully like the Titans are, why not build your team to be as big as you can get?
Mason Kinsey
One of the more intriguing undrafted free agent signings the Tennessee Titans made post-draft, Kinsey played his entire collegiate career at Division III Berry College in Georgia.
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At that school, Kinsey set the record for receptions (203), yards (3,343) and touchdowns (50) over the course of his 43 game career.
To prove that he was built for bigger things than D-III ball, at his Pro Day, Kinsey blazed a 4.36 40-yard dash, 4.19 short shuttle time, 7.0 three-cone time and jumped 36 inches vertically.
With that athleticism and production, there was no reason for Kinsey not to get a shot with an NFL team, and we all know how much Jon Robinson enjoys bringing in small-school guys who have something to prove.
Kinsey is hurt a bit by the lack of a preseason, as he can’t showcase his athleticism in a game setting. But with potential standout performances in practice as a receiver and punt returner, Kinsey could make a name for himself and earn a spot on the back-end of the roster.
Is there a chance that he could be the next D-III receiver to make an impact in the NFL like Jake Kumerow did for the Green Bay Packers?