Titans WRs That Need to Step Up with Treylon Burks Injured

The Tennessee Titans will be without wide receiver Treylon Burks for the next few weeks due to injury and with Burks out, there are other receivers who need to step up in his absence.

The Tennessee Titans experienced a major scare when second-year receiver Treylon Burks went down with an injury during Wednesday's joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings and while the diagnosis was better than expected, it still creates a big hole in the Titans' offense while Burks is sidelined.

DeAndre Hopkins is mostly certified in his role and won't be impacted, from an opportunities standpoint, by the Burks' absence. Likewise, Kyle Philips is the team's top slot player, so his role shouldn't be affected much either because Burks mostly plays outside and not in the slot.

The rest of the group however, will be directly or indirectly affected.

Chris Moore

If Burks misses regular season action and during the practice time that will be missed, it will be Chris Moore as the team's WR2. You could argue Philips is the next best receiver in terms of talent, but Philips is too small to work consistently in the Titans' base offense which features two receivers.

It'll be Moore who needs to step up the most. Moore is a veteran and has the most productive career of any receiver on the team not named Hopkins. The Titans brought Moore in because of his versatility to play on special teams as well as offense, but Moore also had a good year with the Texans in 2022, putting up 548 yards on 48 catches. He will need to play at that level again for the Titans now.

Nick Westbrook Ikhine

"NWI," as he is affectionately known to the fan base, is fighting for his roster spot right now. Yes, he has been with the Titans for four training camps now and has caught 66 passes for 906 yards in his three seasons with the team. He works on special teams and is willing to do the physical dirty work the Titans require on offense.

At some point though, the ceiling has been reached. The Titans will look to find a younger player with more speed that can give them similar things. There are players lower on this list that could take Westbrook-Ikhine's spot from him if he doesn't use this valuable time with Burks out to prove himself as he is set to get more reps.

Racey McMath

McMath has all the physical tools. He's big at 6-foot-3, he's fast and he has a physical build. Last year at this time, McMath was drawing positive reviews for his ability to make plays deep downfield, using that size and speed.

It didn't pan out in the regular season though as McMath only played in five games and caught only two passes due to injuries. He only played in nine games his rookie year in 2021 and only caught two passes, one of which he fumbled.

McMath is Moore's direct backup on the depth chart and he should be one of the players who get the biggest increase in reps with Burks out and Moore playing with the first team. Going into his third-season and being a disappointment to this point, McMath can't afford to fumble this one.

Reggie Roberson Jr.

Roberson Jr. has made a big impression so far in camp. Roberson Jr. is now into his second season and is trying to finally carve out a spot on the 53-man roster. Burks' injury will give him even more opportunity to build on his great start to camp.

Roberson Jr. spends most of his time lined up out wide which makes him an easy fit for Burks, who also spent most of his time aligned outside. Roberson Jr. appears to have great chemistry with both backup quarterbacks in Malik Willis and Will Levis, maybe now he will get to develop some with starter Ryan Tannehill.

One other key here for Roberson Jr. is the speed he brings. Burks is going to be used as the deep threat on this Titans' offense and other than someone like McMath, no one can replicate Burks' speed other than Roberson Jr.

Colten Dowell

The Titans seventh-round pick can really jump on this opportunity. Dowell played 30 snaps in the Titans' preseason opener against the Bears, the most of any receiver. He stands to get even more opportunities now. Dowell played 25 snaps outside and five in the slot which mirrors Burks playing a sixth of his snaps last season in the slot.

Dowell also has the body type to play Burks' role. He has a similar height at 6-foot-2, although not as stout as Burks. That should allow him to be used as a blocker on the outside in the Titans' run-first offense, but also be moved around on passing downs.

Tre'Shaun Harrison

Harrison has also been a standout in camp so far. At 6-foot-1, Harrison has good size and that is why the Titans used him primarily as a boundary receiver in his first preseason action. Harrison took 18 snaps total on offense and only one came in the slot.

Harrison should get bumped up the depth chart as pieces move to replace Burks. Giving him, like Roberson Jr, a great chance to build on the strong training camp he is already having.

The Slots

Mason Kinsey, Kearis Jackson and Gavin Holmes are all more likely to be slot receiver options for the Titans. While Burks spent some time in the slot last year, as discussed above, he is mostly an outside receiver. With Philips healthy and Hopkins having experience in the slot in offensive coordinator Tim Kelly's system, those two would be digging into Burks' slot chances anyways.

With that in mind, Kinsey, Jackson and Holmes stand the benefit the least in terms of having increased snaps. Their workload and opportunities should remain relatively the same. Holmes played more of his snaps outside than the other two, but skillset wise, Holmes is still more of slot option. Maybe he could see a few more outside snaps and stand to improve his roster chances though.

Titans Related Stories

• MALIK WILLIS FILM ROOM: Tennessee Titans second-year quarterback Malik Willis made his preseason debut on Saturday against the Chicago Bears and there was a lot of good and bad on tape. CLICK HERE
• TOUGHEST VIKINGS MATCHUPS: The Tennessee Titans take on the Minnesota Vikings this week in joint practices and a preseason game. The Vikings have a few matchups that could present a tremendous challenge for the Titans and those areas deserve our attention. CLICK HERE
• TYJAE SPEARS IMPRESSES: The Titans lost their first preseason game, but rookie running back Tyjae Spears was a bright spot on the day. CLICK HERE