National Football League

DeAndre Hopkins’ addition could make Titans a real contender for AFC South

Updated Jul. 16, 2023 4:59 p.m. ET

The Titans' misfortunes in 2022 — injury hell, a seven-game losing streak to end the season — suggest they weren't as far behind the Jaguars in the AFC South as the layman fan thought. But Tennessee's lackluster offense made it difficult to buy into the idea that it could challenge an ascendant Jacksonville in 2023.

The calculus has now changed. With the expected addition of former All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who's reportedly nearing a two-year deal with the Titans that's worth $26 million and can reach $32 million with incentives, Tennessee has enough to make the division title race a fight.

That doesn't mean the Jaguars don't remain the favorites. They have a rising franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. They have coaching continuity. They have 20 returning starters — nine on offense (plus Calvin Ridley) and all 11 on defense.

But the Titans' biggest concern, the receiver room, looks a lot more promising now that Hopkins is paired with second-year pro Treylon Burks, who showcased improved conditioning and confidence during the team's offseason program.

Hopkins' production last season suggests he could still play at a high level. The 31-year-old averaged 79.7 receiving yards per game playing with three different quarterbacks — Kyler Murray, Colt McCoy and Trace McSorley. Of the eight games he missed, just two were due to injury. Those are indications this veteran receiver experiment could pan out differently than the ones with Robert Woods (2022) and Julio Jones (2021).

Hopkins provides a major boost to a receiver room that last season ranked in the bottom three in the league in receptions (130), receiving yards (1,590), catch rate (56.8%) and yards after the catch (501). Titans wide receivers averaged 2.6 yards of separation from the nearest defender at a throw's arrival, tied for the worst in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. They were considered "open" (the nearest defender being three-plus yards away at pass arrival) just 32.2% of the time, third-worst in the league, per NGS. More than a quarter of passes to them last season (25.4%) were considered "tight window" throws (where the separation between the target and nearest defender is less than a yard), second-to-last in the league, per NGS.

Hopkins makes the lives of Burks, second-year tight end Chig Okonkwo and the rest of the Titans pass catchers easier. He gives quarterback Ryan Tannehill a dependable target. He gives Tennessee a passing game that can threaten opposing defenses, an overall unit that can take pressure off a still-elite Derrick Henry, who regularly faces stacked boxes.

The Titans will couple a more respectable offense with their reliably strong defense, one that could be even better with the return of standout pass rusher Harold Landry III, Tennessee's sack leader from 2019-21. Landry missed all of last season with a torn ACL.

The Titans' depth concerns, on both sides of the ball, are still there. Uncertainty shrouds a new-look offensive line, one that will be without right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere for the first six weeks of the season due to a violation of the league's gambling policy.

But we know what coach Mike Vrabel is capable of, how he finds ways to maximize his team regardless of personnel. And Tennessee's floor is raised with Hopkins in the picture.

This looks like a team that can make life harder for Jacksonville in its division — and contend for a playoff spot, like it always has in the Vrabel era.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience