The 2022 NFL Draft has been wild, and we’re not even through the first round! Several trades have already been made, and none have been larger than the deal that sent superstar wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Tennessee Titans. Andrew Erickson shares his thoughts on the deal and how it impacts the newest Titan, rookie receiver Treylon Burks.
The Titans traded disgruntled wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for picks 18 and 101. With the 18th pick, the Tennessee Titans replaced Brown with a similar-type player in Treylon Burks.
This move has massive fantasy implications starting with Brown, who also inked a A.J. a 4-year, $100M extension as part of the trade.
The veteran has never played in a pass-happy offense and doesn’t project to change too drastically if the Philadelphia Eagles run back their operation ground and pound from a season ago. Still, Brown’s talent has yet to hold him back amid the poor situation – WR5 in fantasy points per game in 2019 – and that shouldn’t stop in Philly.
He will be the alpha dog for the Eagles and remain a WR1 in both redraft and dynasty.
Browns’s arrival knocks second-year wide receiver DeVonta Smith back down into low-end WR3 range and also spells the end of the Jalen Reagor experiment in the City of Brotherly Love.
Jalen Hurts is easily the biggest winner as Brown’s absurd efficiency in Tennessee was a primary driving force behind Ryan Tannehill‘s success as a Titan. Hurts is an easy top-8 fantasy quarterback next season with top-5 well within reach.
As for Burks, this is an ideal spot for the rookie. There’s no competition for targets outside Robert Woods coming off a torn ACL. And with a similar YAC-ability like Brown, Burks should be able to step on the field on day one and offer immediate fantasy football appeal as a top-30 fantasy option.
The Razorbacks’ 8.5 yards after the catch rank 14th among 169 qualifying wide receivers (92nd percentile) over the past two seasons.
Brown’s loss is a major hit for Tannehill, who will now be ranked well outside my top-20 quarterbacks ahead of the 2022 season.
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