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In an offseason with nearly a complete turnover at the wide receiver position, the Tennessee Titans re-stocked through the NFL draft and trade.
General manager Jon Robinson used one of the picks acquired in the A.J. Brown trade to take Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks.
In the fifth round, the Titans selected UCLA’s Kyle Philips, who has impressed thus far in rookie minicamp and OTAs.
According to Bleacher Report’s Ian Wharton, Philips will be the Titans’ surprise rookie gem in 2022.
Philips isn’t especially fast and is on the smaller side at 5’11”, 189 pounds. He has good quickness and fluidity to his motions, though, much like Hunter Renfrow of the Raiders. Trying to guard him one-on-one in space proved difficult for UCLA’s opponents.
He may prove to be a red-zone and third-down specialty weapon, but even that is a great role for a fifth-round investment. Tennessee has snaps to fill, and Philips has the most dynamic and reliable skill set of their candidates.
Philips amassed 739 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 59 receptions in 11 games as a senior. He was second in the Pac-12 with 67.2 receiving yards per game, and third in FBS with an average of 5.36 receptions per contest.
With 163 receptions in four years, the UCLA wide receiver finished fourth all-time on the career receptions list in school history.
Philips could have the opportunity to carve out a role as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver out of the slot, which is where he primarily lined up in college.
Aside from his skillset on offense, the San Marcos, CA native was outstanding on special teams, averaging 22.6 yards per punt return as a senior, including an 82-yard scamper to the end zone against Colorado.
Given the opportunities available in both the passing and punt-return game, it’s certainly not difficult to see how Philips could have an immediate impact in his rookie season.