Every player suiting up for the Tennessee Titans in the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears this weekend is hoping to standout.

Preseason games are the best opportunity many players will have to showcase their ability in live scenarios and prove to their coaches that they deserve a spot on the 53-man roster. That is especially true for players at skill positions. 

For Tennessee's wide receivers, the free agent addition of DeAndre Hopkins has only added more pressure to every opportunity. Hopkins represents one less roster spot available for a receiver on the bubble. Here's a look at which bubble receivers I think are trending up, and which ones I have trending down at this point in training camp.

Trending Up

Reggie Roberson Jr.

Three weeks ago, Roberson was nowhere near my radar as far as wide receivers were concerned. But ever since the Titans put the pads on, the former SMU Mustang has done nothing but make plays.

Roberson quickly established chemistry with quarterback Will Levis and has since become the rookie's favorite target during team periods. It has unequivocally been an impressive camp from Roberson, who looks much improved from where he was as an undrafted free agent last fall. 

After being released by Tennessee at the start of the 2022 regular season, Roberson rejoined the Titans' practice squad in late November and was signed to a futures contract after the season.

"Having that year under my belt, I knew what [Coach Vrabel] wanted from me, wanted from the receivers, and me being on special teams," Roberson said. The 24-year-old wide out now hopes his newfound confidence translates into productive preseason games.

"It's the biggest opportunity you can have," said Roberson of Saturday's preseason matchup with the Chicago Bears.

Tre'Shaun Harrison

Add undrafted free agent wide receiver Tre'Shaun Harrison to the list of guys that have been consistently impressive in training camp. Harrison has had steady hands and taken advantage of the passes thrown his way during live team periods.

He catches the ball in front of his face without breaking stride and has enough speed to run away from defenders down field. 

Harrison hasn't worked with the punt returners this week, so it's hard to tell what his special teams contributions could be moving forward. But as far as receiving duties are concerned, Harrison has represented himself well.

Preseason games will be massive for Harrison as he looks to make plays against the speed and physicality of NFL game action for the first time.

Trending Down

Racey McMath 

The summertime Racey McMath hype train has been slowed down significantly as McMath has not showed a ton of improvement as a receiver during training camp. His routes are inconsistent and his hands have been unreliable. 

McMath had a bad drop during Tuesday's practice on a well-thrown ball by quarterback Malik Willis. McMath stuck one hand in the air, but left his second hand behind and couldn't haul the pass in. 

It was not the first time in camp that McMath has missed what appeared to be a catchable football.

There is still an outside chance that McMath makes the roster if he can set himself apart on special teams and provide the Titans with enough value in that phase of the game. But at this point, that feels like a longshot. 

Colton Dowell

Rookie wide receiver Colton Dowell is still finding his footing in the NFL, and it's clear the former UT Martin receiver has a lot of room for growth. 

While Dowell looks the part of an NFL wideout physically (6-foot-3 and 212 pounds), his hands have let him down a lot during his first training camp. Dowell gets open and targeted a fair amount during team period, but over the past few weeks, he has recorded a number of wide open drops in space.

Dowell's downward trend is far more gradual than McMath's is, but for a guy I had originally penciled in to make Tennessee's 53-man roster, Dowell's spot is beginning to feel less and less secure. 

Don't get me wrong, the rookie still has a lot of time to figure things out. As a seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the 53-man roster is not as "make or break" for Dowell as it is for a third-year player like McMath. But even so, a wide receiver on the bubble of making the roster does himself no favors by dropping the ball.

Titans WR Kyle Philips ‘more explosive’ in 2023

He’ll be fun to watch this year.