NFL Draft grades 2022

Disclaimer: Grading a draft before about three years in is a pretty ridiculous exercise. It is especially ridiculous to do that before the player ever steps on the field. We all know that, yet we all want to see what people say about the picks the Tennessee Titans make in thee draft.

There is way more to this grade than just the player that was picked. I believe Treylon Burks will be a good player for this team. I also believe that they shouldn’t have given up A.J. Brown when they are in a “win-now window.” That is going to make it hard for this pick to grade out very well. I talked more about this on the MCM Radio podcast. You can listen to that here.

Don’t forget the Titans also traded back from number 26 and picked up a second round pick and moved up in the third round. That’s not nothing.

Let’s take a look at how people are grading the Titans first round performance:

Sporting News: Grade D

The Titans gave up their already established top-flight young wide receiver A.J. Brown for this pick only to acquire a lesser, similar-style talent with some big question marks attached to his level of speed and quickness. They don’t have the same big-play potential off play-action tied to Derrick Henry’s power running anymore for Ryan Tannehill. Burks and former Ram Robert Woods make this more of an intermediate passing attack. Tennessee didn’t want to break the bank to keep Brown, but it also took a big hit given its status as an AFC playoff team with more uncertainty at a critical offensive position.

PFF: Grade Below Average

“Tennessee executed the blockbuster of the night by trading wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for the No. 18 and No. 101 picks. And to replace the star pass-catcher, Tennessee drafts Arkansas’ Treylon Burks. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound wide receiver will offer value vertically and with schemed touches underneath because of his size-speed combo. Burks averaged 8.6 yards after the catch per reception and broke 24 tackles on 115 receptions across the past two seasons. Still, his overall route-running leaves a lot to be desired. He projects as a big slot and has a major hill to climb to get to the level Brown was at for Tennessee.”

Bleacher Report: Grade C

Burks is a big, thick wide receiver. He isn’t built like others at his position. Yet he clearly found ways to win against his competition. His 98.4 receiving grade on targets over 20 yards during the last three seasons ranked first among all Power Five prospects, according to Pro Football Focus. He also produced 24.2 percent more yards after the catch compared to the average YAC produced per route over his career, per CFB Film Room.