Titans draft bust has one final chance to prove himself in training camp

In many ways, the infamous A.J. Brown marked a major shift in the history of the Tennessee Titans. Before the trade, the Titans had made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, including a Conference Championship run. Mike Vrabel was considered one of the best coaches in football. Led by Brown and Derrick Henry, Tennessee had one of the most potent offenses in the game.

Now, the Titans are in the midst of a full-scale rebuild with former first-round pick Treylon Burks buried on the depth chart. Burks is on the chopping block heading into training camp, and he'll have to show some major improvements to keep his job.

Treylon Burks might not make it through Titans training camp

The Brown trade would hurt so much less if the Titans got any real production out of Burks. Unfortunately, they haven't. Burks was supposed to be a one-for-one replacement for Brown without the pricetag. Instead, he's totaled under 700 receiving yards across three seasons and hasn't found the end zone in two years.

Burks only appeared in five games in 2024 before tearing his ACL. He's healthy in time for training camp, where he'll fight for a spot on the Titans' final roster.

Tennessee clearly saw its receiver group as a weakness heading into this offseason. They've been aggressive in adding to the position through both free agency and the draft. After signing both Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson, the Titans drafted Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor. They followed it up by signing Xavier Restrepo as an undrafted free agent.

Outside of Calvin Ridley, the Titans have almost a completely new receiving corps. And there might not be any room for Burks.

The Titans declined Burks' fifth-year option, making 2025 the final year of his rookie deal. They wouldn't save any money by cutting him, but he still might not be worth a roster spot.

Burks has an uphill battle ahead of him if he wants to stay with the team this season. Tennessee's coaching staff will likely be focused on developing their three rookie receivers, leaving Burks with minimal practice reps.

He'll have to make the most of those chances to win back his spot. Despite all of the disappointment, there is still a talented player in there somewhere. Burks will need to show that talent to his coaches during training camp. If he can't, he'll have to continue his NFL journey elsewhere.