Tajae Sharpe Will Be The Tennessee Titans’ No. 1 Receiver Heading Into The 2016 Season

When the Tennessee Titans selected Tajae Sharpe with the first selection in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the pick had the makings of steal written all over it. Sharpe had a terrific career at UMass where he was the FBS leader in receptions during his senior season, and he had the route running skills to become an immediate impact player at the next level. Thus far, Sharpe has been as good as advertised and it looks like he may end up being the top receiving threat for the team in 2016.

Though many pundits have picked second-year player Dorial Green-Beckham to become a star during his sophomore campaign, it seems like Sharpe has a better chance to break out at the moment. Sharpe has been working with the first team during the offseason practices, and he has really impressed head coach Mike Mularkey. He is currently listed as the team’s starting slot receiver, but because of his 6-foot-2 frame, he could do a lot more than just work in the middle of the field.

Sharpe has the potential to be a real weapon because of his versatility. His excellent route running and size will allow him to play both outside and inside, and that will allow the team to play him wherever they think the matchup is best. Because of this, Sharpe will be able to get open a lot, and Marcus Mariota is quickly going to develop a solid rapport with him. If this happens, Sharpe will rapidly develop into the team’s best receiver, and he may end up leading the team in yardage when it’s all said and done.

Of course, it does help Sharpe’s case that he doesn’t have a lot of competition on the depth chart right now. Sure, Green-Beckham will be looking to break into the starting lineup, but aside from him the team has a lot of middling veteran options. Kendall Wright is entering his fifth season and he has not become the speed threat that the Titans hoped for. Meanwhile, Harry Douglas and Rishard Matthews are best served as third wideouts. Sharpe has more potential than any of these players which will only help his cause in getting more snaps.

If Sharpe continues to perform well in the offseason, there’s no question that he will become one of the better receivers on the Titans’ roster. He is already moving up quickly, and it’s just a matter of time before he becomes their top option. It looks like the Titans really did get a good value with their fifth-round pick.