The Tennessee Titans are on the cusp of their first game of the 2026 season, and the national media and fans are still talking about the wrong receiver prior to Sunday's Week 1 matchup with the New York Jets.
When you look at the Titans' depth chart, it is easy to get distracted by other players, which is an unfamiliar feeling. The biggest name of the bunch is Carnell Tate, who flashed dominance at times in training camp. Fans want to see if he can come in and immediately be worth the top-five pick the team used to draft him.
Then you look further, and Calvin Ridley's name stands out. It is easy to forget now, but Ridley had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2023 and 2024. Even if he is only 85% of the player he was then, that is still a very nice receiving option who is poised for a comeback.
Tennessee Titans are deep at WR, but Wan'Dale Robinson stands out
Outside of the starters, the Titans' biggest training camp star was Elic Ayomanor. Despite a strong push, it looks like he is going to start on the bench, but he has the ideal frame and skill set to be the team's X receiver. In many ways, Ayomanor is a perfect pair with Tate, and they should complement each other well.
Despite all of those intriguing storylines, none of those players should be the favorite to lead this offense in receiving yards or receptions. Those expectations fall on the shoulders of slot receiver Wan'Dale Robinson.
Throughout camp, Robinson wasn't usually noted for highlight catches, but he was consistently moving the chains while leading all receivers in receptions, per Jim Wyatt.
Cam Ward said that a good quarterback needs to be a game manager 70% of the time and keep the chains moving. That matches up with what the Titans have been doing in training camp, and it all lines up for Robinson to be the player with the most impressive statistics at the end of the season.
Over the last two years, Robinson has averaged six receptions per game for 52 yards. That won't blow anyone away, but doing it every week will land him over 100 receptions and nearly 900 receiving yards, which puts him in a strong position to lead the team in both categories.
Tate may produce explosive plays that open up spacing other receivers, and Ayomanor may work himself into being a physical presence who fights through contact. Those two might even take turns leading the team in receiving yards for several weeks, but at the end of the day, Robinson's statline is inevitable, and it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
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