Trading DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs before last year’s deadline, the Titans have not re-signed 2024 contributor Tyler Boyd. This has left a void alongside Calvin Ridley, who enters his age-30 season.
With Ridley locked in atop Tennessee’s receiving corps, GM Mike Borgonzi acknowledged the team’s deficiency. Thus far, only auxiliary option Van Jefferson has been added. And the Titans gave the well-traveled supporting-caster just $1.67MM on a one-year deal.
“Wide receiver is a position we’re going to have to attack here, whether that’s through the draft, waiver claims,” Borgonzi said, via TennesseeTitans.com’s Jim Wyatt. “That’s one position we’re really going to have to attack through training camp.”
The team still rosters Treylon Burks, but the 2022 first-round pick — chosen minutes after the Titans traded A.J. Brown to the Eagles — has not come close to filling the gaping hole the Brown deal left. Burks also underwent ACL surgery late last year, and head coach Brian Callahan said (via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport) he will not be ready for training camp. Week 1 represents a more realistic goal for the fourth-year player, who suffered the knee injury during an October practice last year. While Callahan wants to give the Arkansas alum another shot, he was drafted two GMs ago (Jon Robinson) and has not topped 250 receiving yards in a season since a 444-yard rookie year.
Barring a change involving Travis Hunter, the Titans are unlikely to address their WR need in Round 1. Cameron Ward is the most likely Tennessee pick at No. 1 overall. The Titans do hold their second-round pick (No. 35 overall), but they gave up their third (No. 66) for L’Jarius Sneed in last year’s tag-and-trade transaction with the Chiefs.
Sneed slogged through an injury-plagued debut season in Nashville, missing 12 games after signing a four-year, $76.4MM deal that came with $44MM guaranteed at signing. Seeing his dominant 2023 season lead to a 2024 dud, Sneed will be back with the Titans — unlike Chidobe Awuzie, a 2024 signee-turned-cap casualty-turned Raven — and will likely be ready for camp, per Callahan. A Sneed boundary complementary piece will likely be sought as well, as no notable Awuzie replacement has arrived. Awuzie missed much of last season as well.
As for the non-Ridley players Sneed will cover once Titans camp begins, Amari Cooper, Tyler Lockett and Keenan Allen represent the top veterans still available. Well, Diontae Johnson would qualify as the best option in a vacuum, but the wideout is coming off a diverse bridge-burning effort in 2024. Johnson should receive another chance, but he cost himself plenty of money with his 2024 actions. It should be expected the Titans will turn their attention to receiver with their second-round pick, potentially aiming to arm Ward with a young weapon to complement Ridley.