NFL Rumors: Titans WR Treylon Burks 'Labored to Get Through Some' Predraft Workouts
May 30, 2022
Some NFL teams were reportedly concerned about wide receiver Treylon Burks' conditioning during the lead-up to the 2022 NFL draft last month.
According to Albert Breer of The MMQB, Burks had a "weight issue" during predraft private workouts and "labored to get through some" of them, which was a "red flag" for some teams.
The reported issues didn't scare off the Tennessee Titans, who used the No. 18 overall pick to select the 6'2", 225-pound wideout from the University of Arkansas.
Aside from simply using the No. 18 overall pick on Burks, the Titans invested heavily in him as the de facto replacement for A.J. Brown.
Tennessee traded Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 18th overall selection and the 101st overall pick in the third round after being unable to come to terms on a long-term contract with Brown.
Whether fair or not, Burks will be compared to Brown moving forward since the Titans used the pick from the Brown trade to take him.
In terms of his size and the explosiveness he displayed during college, Burks seems to compare favorably to Brown, who averaged just shy of 1,000 yards per season and recorded 24 receiving touchdowns over three years with the Titans.
Burks is coming off an exceptional season with the Razorbacks that saw him record 66 receptions for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also rushed 14 times for 112 yards and a score, drawing some comparisons to San Francisco 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel.
Conditioning never seemed to be an issue for Burks at the collegiate level, as he averaged 16.4 yards per catch during his three seasons at Arkansas, proving his status as a downfield threat.
There will be instant pressure on Burks to perform at a high level for the Titans in 2022 given some of the team's losses on offense.
In addition to trading Brown to the Eagles, Tennessee released veteran receiver Julio Jones, leaving it without its top two wide receivers from last season.
The front office tried to address those departures by drafting Burks, acquiring wide receiver Robert Woods from the Los Angeles Rams and signing tight end Austin Hooper.
Since Woods is coming off a torn left ACL suffered in November, Burks will likely be looked upon as the No. 1 option in the passing game from Day 1, which will give him plenty of opportunity to eliminate any lingering concerns regarding his predraft performance.