Titans' Treylon Burks feels 'faster' entering second NFL season 'because I can breathe'

Burks has changed his approach entering Year 2

Tennessee Titans 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks didn't exactly get off to a hot start in his NFL career. The wideout from Arkansas was on and off the practice field throughout rookie camp and training camp due to conditioning/asthma issues, but this year, he feels different.

"I would say I feel faster," Burks told reporters Tuesday, "because I can breathe."

Burks said that he changed up his diet in the middle of his rookie season, but he did more than that. He's changed his approach to the game as a whole.

"My biggest thing was not repeating what I did last year coming into the offseason," Burks said. "I feel like I've mastered that and can keep going. I'm getting better with a lot of the formations and concepts of our new stuff, and just having fun, really. Just having fun, and not having that stress coming in as a rookie trying to prove this guy this, the coach this, just having fun now."

Burks caught 33 passes for 444 yards and one touchdown in 11 games played last season. While the numbers don't jump off the page, Burks showed flashes of stardom at times. In Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers on "Thursday Night Football," he caught seven of eight targets for 111 yards while Ryan Tannehill recorded one of the NFL's best passing performances of the past three seasons in a 27-17 victory. The following week against the Cincinnati Bengals, Burks recorded his first career touchdown off of a hustle play that involved recovering a fumble in the end zone.

Burks did suffer through a couple of injuries during his rookie season, including a toe issue that landed him on injured reserve early in the year, and a concussion suffered during a touchdown reception against the Philadelphia Eagles. But this year, he's looking to take his game to the next level. 

 "I feel great," Burks said. "I'm running fast, not having any problems with breathing. Really just having fun, man. I am in a good place, state of mind, and I am just thankful.

"I have been here the whole offseason. I didn't go train at the beach or anything, I stayed here. I wanted to stay around the facility and bond, make a connection with the coaches but also get ahead on the things that I know I am going to be doing in the offseason."

While Burks has moved past some of the stressors that come with being a rookie in this league, there is pressure on him entering 2023. He's expected to shoulder the load in a wide receiving corps generally viewed as one of the worst in the league, and led by a new offensive coordinator. However, Burks does have that kind of potential.