Recently, I posed this question on an episode of The Lead Word. If you redrafted the entire league, where you would draft DK Metcalf? The problem is, while Metcalf is tearing the cover off the league, the rest of the NFL community has just forgotten about his former collegiate teammate. AJ Brown is a monster and has become the most underrated receiver in football.
I tried to tell you Metcalf was going to turn into full blown Terrell Owens. From a physical standpoint, Brown isn’t too far behind. Brown might not be as tall but he’s still a truck at 226. As a rookie, Brown led the NFL in yards after the catch.
On the 2020 season (six games), Brown has 31 receptions for 457 yards and six touchdowns. Brown is averaging a touchdown per game and single handily carrying the Titans passing attack.
Brown plays for the Titans. This is a run first offense with Ryan Tannehill slinging the rock. The fact that Brown is even close to the top of the leader board says it all. Brown ranks 4th in the NFL in fantasy points per game. The three ahead of him (Davante Adams, DK Metcalf, and Tyreek Hill) play with better quarterbacks and more explosive offenses.
I think the best comp for Brown is Andre Johnson. No, he’s not T.O. but he’s damn close. For many years, Johnson never had a real quarterback with the Texans. He still found a way to produce and won with physicality. Brown has been a steal in the second round for Tennessee any way you slice it.
Brown is the only target with the Titans. Defenses don’t take anybody else seriously. It hasn’t mattered. Brown has notched 33.3% of the Titans’ passing attack and missed two games. That mark ranks as the 7th highest in the NFL. Tannehill also has a 126.5 passer rating when targeting the former Ole Miss product. Brown is also posting a catch rate of 64.4%.
I’ll pose the question again. When redrafting the league, how many wide receivers do you take before AJ Brown? The Titans star wide receiver belongs in the top five.
