When the Tennessee Titans traded A.J. Brown to Philadelphia during the 2022 NFL Draft, the Titans acquired an additional first-round pick and a 2023 third-rounder. And with the No. 18 pick , Tennessee selected former Arkansas star Treylon Burks in hopes of finding an adequate replacement for the three-time Pro Bowl wideout.
However, that decision quickly crashed and burned, as Brown won a Super Bowl and surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in three straight seasons for the Eagles. Meanwhile Burks has never surpassed 500 yards in a season and is no longer on an NFL roster.
The 25-year-old fractured his collarbone earlier this summer, but is ramping up in hopes of returning to the field this season. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported yesterday that Burks was cleared for all football activities, which could see the former first-rounder sign somewhere after the Titans cut him.
And with the Atlanta Falcons having a clear need for additional receiver depth, taking a flier on Burks makes sense.
Former #Titans first-round pick Treylon Burks, who has been recovering from a broken collarbone since training camp, has been cleared for all football activities by Dr. Damon Petty, the #Titans team physician, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 6, 2025
Burks was released from IR and can sign with anyone. pic.twitter.com/Qp2aYJGyaA
Treylon Burks is the perfect wide receiver flier for the Falcons
After recording 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final season in Fayetteville, it took just three three NFL seasons for Burks to be named one of the biggest draft busts in recent memory.
He amassed just 699 yards and one touchdown in his career with Tennessee while battling a revolving door of injuries and inconsistency at quarterback. And with No. 1 pick Cam Ward coming in, Brian Callahan wanted to pave the way for rookie receivers Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor.
The Arkansas native appeared in just five games in 2024 before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in October. The injury woes have been a concern, but even when he's on the field he has yet to produce the way fans expected—so maybe a change of scenery could help.
Despite the underwhelming numbers, his size and YAC ability make him a worthwhile reclamation project. Aside from Drake London, the Dirty Birds are thin at wide receiver, so bringing the three-time All-SEC pass-catcher back to the South could help revive his career.
Darnell Mooney is hurt and struggling, Ray-Ray McCloud has been terrible, and Casey Washington and David Sills are no more than depth options. Things have gotten so bad in the receiver room that Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts are constantly operating out of position to serve as the WR2—which is far from encouraging, even if they have produced.
The lack of WR depth has made missing out on Emeka Egbuka in the 2025 NFL Draft sting even more. Michael Penix Jr. has flashed as of late, but lacks a true secondary target, which has led to fans calling for an acquisition to bolster the receiver room.
Taking a swing on Burks is a low-risk, high-reward move for a team on the rise. And it could see him become a key piece of Atlanta's playoff push— especially if he can rediscover even some some of the explosiveness that once saw him draw comparisons to Brown himself at Arkansas.