The most exciting position battle to watch during Titans camp
Wide receiver has been a popular topic all offseason for the Tennessee Titans. It started with the contract negotiations between the Titans and star receiver AJ Brown, which ultimately turned into the trade of Brown to Philadelphia and the draft selection of Arkansas WR Treylon Burks in the first round. Now, as the team heads […]
Wide receiver has been a popular topic all offseason for the Tennessee Titans. It started with the contract negotiations between the Titans and star receiver AJ Brown, which ultimately turned into the trade of Brown to Philadelphia and the draft selection of Arkansas WR Treylon Burks in the first round.
Now, as the team heads into OTAs, it is a wide receiver position battle that could be fun to watch. This one between Mason Kinsey and Kyle Philips.
MASON KINSEY
Kinsey is a 23-year old slot receiver entering his third season in the NFL after being an undrafted free agent from Berry College in 2020. After spending time in both New England and Tennessee, Kinsey has only appeared in one NFL game during his career, but has continued to grow with time.
At rookie minicamp (which Kinsey was eligible for and asked to attend) his feet looked much quicker, hands looked sharp, and he even got recognition from Mike Vrabel for being a leader among the young receiving core.
Vrabel hasn’t been the only one to show Kinsey some love recently. Former teammate AJ Brown seems to be in his corner as well:
Kinsey may not be the difference making weapon that Titans fans have been clamoring for, but there is always room in a receiving core for a player that works hard shows no fear. It seems like Kinsey gets better each and every time you see him, and his work ethic is a big reason why.
Kinsey will also have the advantage of being comfortable and familiar within the Titans system. He knows how things are done here and knows just how hard it is to find success at the NFL level.
The Titans will be looking to find slot options to make their active roster, and I expect Kinsey to fight for his case during camp and showcase his development.
KYLE PHILIPS
Another player fighting for that same role will be rookie wide receiver Kyle Philips out of UCLA. Philips scored 10 touchdowns in 11 games last season for the Bruins before being drafted in the 5th round by the Titans in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Just like Kinsey, Philips was impressive during his first rookie minicamp. He made some impressive catches, doing a nice job of adjusting ball placement, and showed off some nifty footwork and speed in in drills.
Philips’ former wide receiver coach at UCLA, Jerry Neuheisel has been shouting the praises of Philips since before the draft. He describes Philips as a “dynamic returner” that “creates separation, is where he’s supposed to be, and gets north and south”.
So far, it has not been difficult to see why coaches love having him.
Physically, Philips (5’11”, 191) and Kinsey (5’10”, 198) share a lot of similarities. Looking at a side-by-side of their tape may make you see double.
The Titans currently have 11 receivers on the roster, with that number likely dropping to 7 or so once cuts are made. Watching these two fight for their spots and reps all summer is going to be an entertaining battle to keep eyes on.
Image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
