Ben Arthur
AFC South Reporter
Even when the Titans’ shaky offensive line protected long enough for Will Levis to get passes off last season, his playmaking opportunities were still limited.
Tennessee pass-catchers not named DeAndre Hopkins couldn’t consistently create against man coverage. Collectively, Titans wide receivers averaged just 3.3 yards of separation from the nearest defender at the arrival of a pass, tied for 22nd in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. It played a key role in what was a lackluster passing attack.
Under new coach Brian Callahan, the wide receiver room has morphed into a strength.
“[Levis] doesn’t have to be stressed out over just trying to make sure you’re making the right play every time because you got guys now,” wide receiver Tyler Boyd said last month. “You don’t got to kill yourself or do the most just to make a play.”
In Hopkins, Boyd and Calvin Ridley — the latter two inked free-agent deals with the Titans this offseason — Tennessee now has one of the league’s top wide receiver trios on paper. They’ve combined for 11 1,000-yard receiving seasons, 1,765 receptions and 22,713 receiving yards.
Though on the older side — Hopkins is 32, while Ridley and Boyd are 29 — all three receivers have proved they’re still effective players. Hopkins and Ridley are coming off 1,000-yard seasons. Boyd registered his sixth straight 600-yard campaign in 2023.
The trio represents the best collective receiver talent the franchise has had in its Tennessee era.
“It helps a ton,” Callahan said of what the trio means for Levis. “They’ve got great knowledge and experience. Productive players in the league. They’ve done it. And that helps when you’ve got a young quarterback that is a full-time starter for the first time. Having a veteran presence, a veteran perspective, veteran opinions will help his development. I believe that.”
Outside of Hopkins, who had 1,057 receiving yards last…
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Publish date : 2024-07-09 22:13:52
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