Burks Picked to be Brown v. 2.0

The wide receiver, selected No. 18 overall, drew a lot of pre-draft comparisons to the Titans' leading receiver each of the last three years.

NASHVILLE – In trading A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, the Tennessee Titans said goodbye to one of the NFL’s best wide receivers.

In drafting Arkansas’ Treylon Burks, they added a player who’s drawn many comparisons to Brown.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Burks was a handful for opponents last season, when he earned first-team All-SEC honors after catching 66 passes for 1,104 yards (16.7-yard average) and 11 touchdowns.

Burks, like Brown, isn’t an absolute burner. He ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine. But he proved an effective target because of his size, his ability to separate and his ability to – when necessary – snare contested catches.

“I would say just how our bodies are, they’re similar,” Burks said of Brown. “But we also have different things we bring to the table when we play football. He’s a great player. I am just happy to be a part of the team now and play my role.”

Also like Brown, one of Burks’ strength is yards after catch, as he forced 15 missed tackles last season – 29th-highest in the country – and averaged 9.3 yards after reception, the fourth-highest figure in the country, per Pro Football Focus.

Brown played a lot of slot at Ole Miss before coming to the NFL, where he played primarily on the outside but also moved inside from time to time. Burks played the majority of his snaps at Arkansas last season inside, lining up at slot for 529 of his 717 snaps. But his size certainly should lend itself to moving outside for the Titans, giving the team added versatility at the position.

“I’m willing to do whatever they want me to do,” Burks said. “(I’ll) come in the first day and work hard, work my ass off and just do whatever the plan they put in front of me and execute.”

NFL Network Daniel Jeremiah made a direct comparison between the two players last year.

“He reminds me of A.J. Brown,” Jeremiah said. “I remember watching Brown torch the SEC from the slot. Brown is a little more explosive than Burks, but both guys play with tremendous physicality and toughness.

“They aren’t afraid to work in traffic and they become special once the ball is in their hands. Brown has already established himself as a premier player at his position in the NFL. I don’t believe Burks has quite the same upside, but I see him developing into a solid number two target at the next level.”

Brown earned praise from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler for his ability to get downfield. Brugler noted that Burks caught 12 of 18 targets of 20-plus yards in 2021, with zero drops.

How would Burks describe himself?

“I would say big, fast, physical and fearless,” Burks said. “That’s my main thing. My great grandpa always told me to be fearless out there on the field. Everybody is human. That’s a man just like I’m a man across from me.”