National Football League

Would DeAndre Hopkins actually make the Titans contenders?

Published Jul. 12, 2023 6:02 p.m. ET

There's no questioning that the Tennessee Titans could use free-agent receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

On paper, they have one of the worst wide receiver rooms in the NFL entering 2023 — after having one of the worst wide receiver rooms last season. They've made no significant upgrades at the position this offseason (Robert Woods was cut as a cap casualty, while veteran Chris Moore and a seventh-round rookie were added).

And how bad was the Titans' wide receiver room in 2022? It 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.

What the presence of the 31-year-old Hopkins — a three-time All-Pro receiver — could mean for second-year pro Treylon Burks, the Titans' new No. 1 receiver, should be tantalizing for Tennessee too. The mentorship and guidance he'd provide. The pressure he'd take off Burks. How the entire offense would reap the rewards.

But while the Titans are in the mix for the 31-year-old Hopkins' services — they're one of two teams that he's known to have visited — there's too much uncertainty with their offense, and team overall, to say he'd be a needle mover for Tennessee against AFC powerhouses.

It should be noted that a Titans' offense that was dreadful last season — second-to-last in red zone attempts (42), fifth-worst in points per game (17.5), 23rd in third-down conversion rate (36.5%) — has undergone what appears to be positive changes. New offensive coordinator Tim Kelly has placed a larger emphasis on speed and tempo. The verbiage of play calls has been shortened to one word, allowing players to play faster without thinking as much. The run game could be more exotic, with versatile third-round rookie Tyjae Spears offering a change of pace to Derrick Henry. The offense, Kelly has said, is geared around being as efficient as possible.

But there are still major questions around the offensive line, which could hurt the team's ability to maximize Hopkins in the passing game.

Tennessee allowed a 39% pressure rate last season, worst in the league, according to Next Gen Stats. It remains to be seen if the Titans' youth and improved athleticism upfront will improve that result. The O-line will have three new starters (expected to be first-round rookie Peter Skoronski, Andre Dillard, Daniel Brunskill). Of the two returning, one (Aaron Brewer) is moving from left guard to center and the other (right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere) has been suspended the first six games of the season for violating the league's gambling policy. Tennessee's offensive tackle depth is thin.

D-Hop in demand

The Bills are interested in WR DeAndre Hopkins but ‘are not going to pay,’ according to a report.

The way the Titans are built, they may have to rely heavily on their defense, which doesn't have the depth it has had in previous seasons. The return of standout outside linebacker Harold Landry III — who missed the entirety of last season with a torn ACL – should provide a big boost to the front four, but there's a steep drop-off in talent and experience outside of the starters on the interior defensive line. The only Tennessee inside linebackers to have started more than 10 games in their career are Azeez Al-Shaair and Ben Niemann, neither of whom were on the team last year. The team's best option as a No. 3 safety right now is Elijah Molden, who has primarily played nickelback and missed 15 games last season.

With no defensive players drafted this year, the Titans have little margin for error on defense. And this is a team that used a league-leading 86 players last season — a year after using 96 players, an NFL record for a non-strike season. Injuries have been a major issue.

Hopkins, as much as he may have left in the tank, can't wash away those concerns for a team that looks like it needs its defense to play at an elite level to have any chance of making serious noise in the AFC.

What he could do, though? Help close the Titans' gap with the Jaguars in the AFC South.

It may not be as large as it's made out to be by NFL observers. It took a Tennessee collapse at the end of last season — an unrelenting run of injuries, the longest losing streak of the Mike Vrabel era — to set up the AFC South title matchup in Week 18, for Jacksonville to reach the playoffs for the first time in five years.

With Hopkins, coupled with better health for the team, Tennessee could be equipped to challenge Jacksonville for the AFC South. And winning your division, of course, gets you in the playoffs. And in the playoffs, anything can happen.

The Titans just need that chance.

In a way, Hopkins represents it.

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.

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