Why the Titans drafted A.J. Brown

A.J. Brown is a guy I had a first round grade on. Brown is the all-time leading receiver in Ole Miss history with 2,984 total yards. The Titans had to be pretty thrilled that he was still on the board when they came on the clock with the No. 51 overall pick.

The why the Titans took Brown is pretty obvious. Despite signing Adam Humphries in free agency, the Titans still had a need at receiver. It’s a three receiver league nowadays and I’m not sure the Titans had three reliable ones entering tonight. Corey Davis will obviously be the team’s No. 1 wide receiver on the outside and Humphries will occupy out of the slot on a full time basis. It’s possible that Brown now starts on the outside opposite Davis. Tajae Sharpe and Taywan Taylor are still on the roster as well, of course.

We all know it’s a big year for Marcus Mariota. He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract and has to prove that he can both stay healthy and play at a high level if the team is going to commit to him long term. The Titans have done a lot to improve the players around Mariota this off-season, and they’ll continue to do so in this draft. Brown is yet another big acquistion for them.

Brown isn’t the most explosive receiver I’ve ever scouted, but he does an excellent job creating separation at the top of his routes. He has the strong hands necessary to make some tough catches. Drops have been an issue, and he’ll have to continue working on that at the next level. Brown’s route running skills are very advanced at this point in his career. He’s also incredibly elusive in the open field. The Titans need to get the ball out of Mariota’s hands quicker than they did last year, and Brown should help him do that with how quickly he gets open.

Will Brown be able to seize a starting spot and contribute immediately? That much is yet to be seen.

The Titans also took him over his popular running mate, D.K. Metcalf. Do you think that was the right decision, Titans fans? Leave your opinion in the comments.