If the Lions want to add a young wide receiver, a trade candidate is swiftly forming.
The level of need is debatable, but the loss of Josh Reynolds has removed a consistent target from the Detroit Lions’ wide receiver corps. After Amon-Ra St. Brown, there’s a lot of speculation (Jameson Williams, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Antoine Green?) and possibly an injury question mark (Kalif Raymond) for next season. A draft pick at the position is conceivable, possibly early.
The Tennessee Titans selected Treylon Burks with the draft pick received from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for A.J. Brown, theoretically replacing their starting wide receiver and restarting the contract clock for their WR1. Burks has only made 49 catches over two seasons (22 games) because to poor quarterback play and injuries.
The Titans have also added DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley in the last two offseasons, moving Burks down the pecking order. According to ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Titans offensive coordinator Nick Holz had this to say about Burks.
“Treylon’s potential is enormous. We see a lot of talent in the first round choice. “But he’ll get what he deserves,” Holz added. “He has the skill set of a big player who can sprint and catch contested passes. If he can discover a method to accomplish that for us, that would be a significant contribution.
“He’s going to get what he earns” is an evident sentiment. It’s too evident. Burks, who is entering his third season, appears to be staying put, and a fresh start with a new coaching staff at Tennessee could be beneficial.
Detroit Lions rumors: Is Treylon Burks a feasible trade target?
Burks’ impressive last season at Arkansas in 2021 (66 catches for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns) earned him a top-20 overall pick in 2022. In 2020, he averaged more over 16 yards per grab and scored seven touchdowns for the Razorbacks. He is a large (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) downfield target who can win contested catches. It’s reasonable to presume that his potential hasn’t faded two years into his NFL career, given that he’s only 24 years old.
Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports suggested Burks as a possible trade target for the Lions, with a proposed deal.
The Lions acquire Treylon Burks and the 182nd pick, while the Titans receive a fourth-round pick in 2025. The choice the Lions acquired from the Eagles in the D’Andre Swift deal.
Burks and what would be the Lions’ third sixth-round pick this year for the pick acquired from the Eagles in exchange for D’Andre Swift isn’t a bad trade. It’s worth considering if it would take such a high pick to get Burks, but perhaps you can use that fourth-round pick in 2025 to gain a pick back in addition to Burks.
If the Lions want to add a wide receiver before or after the draft, they should consider it a “low-risk” move. Burks also has promise that will most likely be realized with a change of scenery, and the Lions did bring him in for a top-30 visit two years ago.
