A.J. Brown might be even better than you realize
Let’s talk about something that most Tennessee Titans fans already know, A.J. Brown wants to be the best wide receiver in the league.
The 23-year old kid out of Ole Miss, oft-overshadowed by his flashier college teammate (DK Metcalf), thinks that he can be the best at his position in the NFL.
And you know what? He’s absolutely right. In fact, after just his second season in the league, one that saw Brown fight through an injury that team doctors suggested might keep him sidelined from Week 2 through the entire year, he might already be closer than he gets credit for.
The volume wasn’t there for Brown like it was for Bills’ star Stefon Diggs, a first-team All-Pro at the wide receiver position. The scoring production wasn’t at the same level as it was for Davante Adams, the receiver out of Green Bay, and another first-team All-Pro. His highlight-reel level plays, compared to those of another All-Pro in Tyreek Hill, Brown wasn’t quite at… actually, yeah, maybe he’s even here.
But Brown’s talent shines, even if he’s not outpacing the competition in one stat or another. Diggs may have led the league in receptions, but Brown managed more touchdown receptions than the Bills’ All-Pro, with fewer games and far fewer targets to his name. Adams might have more touchdown catches than both of them, but Brown proved to be a big-play machine in a way that Adams didn’t touch in 2020, finishing 12th in yards per reception to Adams’ 66th.
It’s the consistency that makes A.J. Brown who he is. He’s not the league’s best player at one thing, but he’s one of the league’s best players at just about everything. A threat to take the top off a defense, a threat in the red zone, a threat for contested catches, a threat in, well, everything.
Last season, I wrote about A.J. Brown— a bright rookie star with worlds of potential. Now, I write about A.J. Brown– an established master at the position who has realized that potential in just his second year in the pros. And he’s not just on pace to be great, he’s on pace to be the greatest in the league.