The Tennessee Titans’ loss against the Cincinnati Bengals was frustrating, but there was one significant silver lining. Even in a disappointing game, fans can walk away optimistic about rookie receiver Treylon Burks.
Over the last two weeks, Treylon Burks has had 11 receptions for 181 yards and it has been incredible to watch.
There are several stats I can (and will) throw out about Burks in this article, but one that has to be made immediately is just how much of a big-play threat the rookie has become.
In the last two games, Burks has had three receptions go for more than 40 yards. To put that in perspective, over the last three months there have only been 8 players that have had more 40+ yard receptions than Burks has had in the last 10 days.
Where does the Tennessee Titans’ rookie stand among his peers?
There are only 10 rookie receivers in the NFL that have more than 20 receptions, and Treylon Burks ranks near the top in most of the important categories. (All of the following stats come from those 10 rookies)
In the words of Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson, the receiver’s job is to get open and catch the ball. Among those qualified receivers, Burks ranks 3rd in catch percentage which means that he is checking off one of the boxes that the HC and the GM are looking for.
Despite low usage early in the season, Burks still ranks 3rd in yards per game this season. Considering just how difficult it is for receivers to produce in this run-heavy offense, that is very impressive.
To reaffirm that, Burks actually ranks 2nd in yards per target with 9.3 yards per target. Just for the sake of comparison, some other receivers around the NFL with ~9.3 yards per target are guys like Stefon Diggs (9.3), DeAndre Hopkins (9.0), and Amari Cooper (8.5).
All of that is very impressive, and it doesn’t even properly explain how well Burks is doing. For example, if he wasn’t hustling behind Derrick Henry on the screen pass yesterday, Henry’s fumble would have turned into a touchback. Instead, he fell on it and scored his first NFL touchdown.
When you look at his production, his effort, his consistency, and even his blocking, Tennessee Titans fans should be very pleased with their first-round pick.