Titans’ Wide Receiver Group Taking Shape

When the Tennessee Titans lost Kenny Britt for the season in a game against the Denver Broncos last year, it was time for the next man to step up. Nate Washington really stepped into a big role and wound up with over 1,000 yards receiving and seven touchdowns, something I’m quite surprised to find out this morning since I never really noticed that happening.

So, if you learned something new today like I did, there it is. Nate Washington had over 1,000 yards receiving in 2011.

Along with Washington, the Titans saw a breakout year from tight end Jared Cook, who had 49 receptions and 759 yards, as well as 311 yards after the catch. He proved to be a big play threat and even though he only hit paydirt three times, he figures to once again be a huge part of the offense.

The big news for Tennessee last year was they saw some real improvement out of 2010 draft pick Damian Williams, who had 45 receptions for 592 yards and five touchdowns. That’s pretty average production, or even below average, but it’s encouraging because Williams was relatively productive after a disappointing rookie season.

Lavelle Hawkins is another player who emerged for Tennessee last season with 47 receptions for 470 yards and a touchdown. These three receivers have an average age of around 26 or 27 years old, and fans have to be really excited about the improvement of their young players.

The encouraging thing is that the Titans still have Britt returning from injury this season, and if he can stay out of trouble this season that will be a huge boost to their group. The team also added Baylor’s exciting playmaker Kendall Wright in the first round, which will add even more to this receiver group. At least for the short term, Matt Hasselbeck has to be really excited about the talent around him on the roster, as does the team’s QB of the future, Jake Locker.