Getty The Cowboys would be an ideal landing spot for Titans WR Treylon Burks.
The Dallas Cowboys would be an ideal landing spot for this young wide receiver.
Mario Herrera Jr. of Inside the Star mentions Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks as one of multiple potential wide receiver candidates for the Cowboys. Herrera argues that Burks may be the most “intriguing” of the three Titans receivers mentioned, including five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
“The Titans used the pick on WR Treylon Burks, but have yet to see the return on investment they were expecting,” writes Herrera. “Now a new coaching staff is in Tennessee. Could Burks become available for trade behind a crowded depth chart?”
Treylon Burks Has Been Bust for Titans Early in Career
The 6-foot-2 Burks was a highly accomplished receiver coming out of the University of Arkansas, posting a First-team All-SEC selection during his final season in 2021 after racking up 66 catches for 1,104 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Burks was also named a two-time All-SEC Second-Team selection during the 2019 (as a return specialist) and 2020 seasons.
That accomplished collegiate career led to Burks being selected with a first-round draft pick by the Titans in 2022. To top it all off, Burks faces even more pressure to live up to his status because the Titans traded away star receiver A.J. Brown in order to acquire the pick used on Burks.
However, his impact through the first two seasons of his career have been minimal. The 24-year-old Burks has posted just 49 receptions for 665 receiving yards and one touchdown. To make matters even worse, his numbers declined in his second season compared to the first, posting just 16 catches for 221 receiving yards and zero touchdowns during the 2023 season.
Those numbers were so low that they actually ranked behind former undrafted free agent Westbrook-Ikhine and journeyman receiver Chris Moore.
It’s clear that despite there being only one established receiver in Tennessee — Hopkins — Burks has been unable to break out despite receiving his opportunities. Burks actually saw a higher percentage of playing time — 62% of the offensive snaps compared to 58% during the 2022 season — during his second season.
Why Treylon Burks to Cowboys Would Make Sense
In the same article, proposes that the Cowboys could acquire Hopkins for a fifth-round draft pick. While it’s hard to envision such a scenario playing out, the idea of Dallas acquiring Burks for a similar draft pick — or even a lower one — is a realistic scenario.
A change of scenery could actually benefit Burks and potentially give him the opportunity to live up to his potential.
In Dallas, Burks would have two veterans to lean on — CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks — and not have the heavy burden of living up to his first-round draft pick status as a member of the Titans. Furthermore, he’d not only play for a far better organization, he’d be playing with one of the top quarterbacks in the league in Dak Prescott rather than second-year quarterback Will Levis.
Prescott is coming off of a runner-up finish in MVP voting after leading the Cowboys to a 12-5 record and leading the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and 410 completions.
If Burks becomes available on the trade market, it would be during training camp right before the season starts. It doesn’t hurt that the Titans also brought in established veterans such as Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to help Levis in his development as a starter.
With three established veteran receiving options and Westbrook-Ikhine projecting as the fourth option, Burks could be the odd man out.