Why Treylon Burks' fascinating hobby makes the Titans an ideal draft destination
Each year leading up to the NFL Draft there are always a few unforgettable prospects. Their claim to fame might be for breaking records at the collegiate level, having a unique upbringing, or an unusual “fun fact” that becomes synonymous with a particular player. Arkansas wide receiver and potential Titans draft target Treylon Burks happens […]
Each year leading up to the NFL Draft there are always a few unforgettable prospects. Their claim to fame might be for breaking records at the collegiate level, having a unique upbringing, or an unusual “fun fact” that becomes synonymous with a particular player. Arkansas wide receiver and potential Titans draft target Treylon Burks happens to check a couple of those boxes.
Burks declared for the draft after a remarkable junior season in Fayetteville, AR. In 12 games, Burks hauled in 66 catches for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also demonstrated his versatility by rushing for 112 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries (8.0 YPC). Burks set Arkansas’ single-season record for 100-yard games (6) and was unanimously selected as an All-SEC first-teamer.
At the annual NFL Scouting Combine held in Indianapolis, IN, Burks wowed scouts with his physical acumen. However, he ran an underwhelming 40-yard dash, clocking in at 4.55 seconds. However, his forty time did little to scare off the Titans considering the team has already met with Burks twice.
Titans Radio’s Rhett Bryan joined the Titan Up Podcast this week to explain why Burks makes so much sense for the Titans, who hold the 26th overall pick in this year’s draft.
“I don’t care that he ran a 4.5 forty at the combine; he ran away from dudes in the SEC,” said Bryan. “A big, physical, thickly built receiver – who does he remind you of? A.J. Brown.”
His physical attributes weren’t the only thing that set Burks apart from the rest of the combine field. During his media availability, Burks really raised some eyebrows by telling stories about how he would hunt feral hogs in his youth.
While this might not sound surprising coming from somebody who grew up in rural Warren, AR, it wasn’t the hunting that made headlines. It was that he hunted these hogs with his bare hands, using only a knife.
“You have to go out there with dogs, and dogs go out and find them, and then we come up behind them and tackle them — take them down,” Burks explained.
While that does not necessarily sound like something teams would want their first-round pick doing in his free time, it does have some similarities to football.
“You have to game plan before you even go out there,” he said. “I wear gloves, but you have to put vests and everything on the dogs to prepare them so they don’t get hurt.”
Being an outdoorsman who also grew up hunting deer and fishing, landing with Tennessee might be a match made in football and outdoorsman heaven.
The Titans addressed one of its holes at the receiver position by trading for Robert Woods in March. However, with how explosive the offenses across the AFC have become this offseason, adding a player as skillful as Burks would make QB Ryan Tannehill’s life a whole lot easier.
Featured image via Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports
