NASHVILLE — Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins signing with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 comes with a lot of added value. Tennessee's offense will not be the only beneficiary of the veteran's presence this season. 

The Titans defense has been gaining valuable practice reps against Hopkins all summer long.

Dividends from working against Hopkins in training camp and the weeks leading up to Sunday's first game of the season have been evident. The New Orleans Saints, who host Tennessee in Week 1, have spent plenty of time preparing for coordinator Shane Bowen's defense. New quarterback Derek Carr stands to benefit from a variety of different skill players in New Orleans, including the on-field return of wide receiver Michael Thomas. 

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"Obviously with (Chris) Olave and Michael Thomas, two different receivers, one extremely quick, great route runner," said coach Mike Vrabel. "Michael Thomas is a great route runner in his own right. But it's just the physicality, the play strength that he has."

The skill set that Thomas offers at his best mirrors Hopkins' game quite well. 

Neither player needs much separation to make spectacular grabs. Both employ strength and leverage to improve a quarterback's completion chances as much as they do their respective route crafts. Whether Thomas is still that now three full seasons and several injuries removed from being the NFL Offensive Player of the Year remains to be seen.

Reports out of Saints media are that he is healthy, motivated and ready to show it against Tennessee. 

"(Hopkins and Thomas) know how to use their strengths," Titans corner Kristian Fulton said on 104.5 The Zone. "Their strengths are their size and their physicality. Those are definitely things that I'm grateful to have went against Hop(kins), so I know what to expect from a bigger guy. A guy that's not necessarily a burner, but knows how to use his speed and tempos of the routes. There are definitely similarities." 

Straight-line speed might not be Thomas' primary weapon, but he still has plenty of ways that he can burn you. 

2019 was one of the greatest single seasons by a receiver in NFL history. In 16 games, Thomas caught 149 passes for a league-high 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. Hopkins, 31, has a decorated resumé of his own and a skill set that appears to be aging well in work against his Tennessee teammates thus far. 

If Thomas regains his form, Fulton and the Titans secondary believe they are prepared.

DeAndre Hopkins was huge but not the most important player in 2023

NASHVILLE — Adding veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins was as big of an offseason acquisition as any NFL team made. Hopkins, however, is not the most important player on the Tennessee Titans roster this year. That designation belongs to quarterback Ryan Tannehill. No position on the football field is as dependent upon another one as wide […]

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