All 2022 preseason, from Titans training camp to the preseason games themselves, all the WR talk was about two things…
1) Rookie Treylon Burks being out of shape…fears he was going to be a bust.
2) Rookie Kyle Philips being Ryan Tannehill's go-to WR in camp…on a 'lacking' Titans WR group, in general, it seemed.
Then, Week 1 of the 2022 regular season, Philips goes out and debuts with a 9-target, 6-catch game (with only 48% of the snaps played) and it seemed like my preseason prophecy of Philips as the best Titans PPR hope and possible great bet on him to lead all rookies in receptions was well on its way. The next closest Titans WR in targets that Week 1 was Burks with 5. Hilliard and Burks were runner's up in catches with 3 (half of Philips's tally).
Game-set-match…right? Philips was leading the way in the preseason and came out Week 1 and leads the way, with distance from the next closest receiver.
But then Philips muffed a punt return in Week 2…after he had muffed a punt in his Week 1 debut as well. He got benched for it. He only saw one target in a Week 2 blowout loss. The muffed punts got him deactivated for Week 3 (and he had a shoulder issue he was trying to play through). He was reactivated for Week 4 but only played 4 snaps. He worked 18 snaps in Week 5, seeing two targets, and had a hamstring issue pop up. Back to inactive Week 7 (Week 6 bye)…and he never played another snap/game the rest of the season with the hamstring + the shoulder issue from Week 1 that he was playing through.
Such a promising start to Philips' 2022 season…such a disastrous finish.
Is Philips 'done' as a 'thing' for the Titans going forward? Just a bit player ahead?
Let me toss this bomb into the mix…
You know what Kyle Philips is…? What he's capable of…? I would argue he is one of the 10 or so best 'get open' WRs in the NFL…today. He tested with high-end agility pre-Draft 2022 and his tape shows clearly his ability to simply get open off the snap on any coverage. There are a lot of young WRs who are just generically good…OK-to-good (to speedy) athletes, good hands, solid routes AND are all kinda forgettable/interchangeable, have outputs based on the QB/offense…but Philips is NOT that. He has a gift…a superpower. He can get open off the snap with the best of them -- that's got a much higher value than anyone in FF analysis truly recognizes.
The reason Philips tore up the 2022 preseason and had 9 targets in his Week 1 NFL debut…he gets open. He simply/quickly gets open. Not only can he get open, but he has good/reliable hands. He's a QB's best friend -- especially QBs who are trying to get rid of the ball quickly on short timing routes. Philips' style never goes out of style.
For 2023, Philips is healed from his non-surgical injuries from 2022. He has bulked up +10 pounds from his 2022 playing weight. He's a grinder, a worker -- he's going to get his body right. Philips is putting himself in position to be the best WR on the team…just like he did at UCLA.
Now, you may not be enthralled with the thoughts of a Tannehill-to-Philips connection…but it can/will work, just like it did Week 1 of 2022, if Philips stays healthy. But that's only part of the upside.
You know where the real hidden value is…long-term, and mid-term? The perfect combination of talents/gifts is = Kyle Philips PLUS Will Levis together.
Will Levis has one of the best arms in the NFL already. Levis is not a trained gunslinger but rather a trained game manager/West Coast offense type QB…quick hitter, safe/smart throws. What does Kyle Philips do? Gets open quickly. Levis is the perfect QB for Kyle Philips' gifts. And that combination may be together by Week 3-4-5 of 2023…or we might have to wait for it until late 2023 or to start 2024 and beyond.
You'll see Kyle Philips on some 2023 FF 'sleeper' articles out there in the mainstream -- it's not having much impact on his nothing-valuation he's at right now. First off, you could find a 'sleeper' proclamation article for FF on just about any drafted offensive player from the past two drafts…so, mainstream articles pointing him out (or anyone out) in some brief snapshot piece is no big deal because no one really pays heed to the million 'sleeper' articles per FF preseason from a million different writers, none of whom is a go-to voice of FF reason/scouting for anyone. Philips' currently has a junk status ADP in Dynasty and redraft, and will all offseason…people think he's boring and so-to they think the same of the Titans passing game (which is true, but not totally relevant to Philips' output hopes in PPR). His value will be close to nothing to acquire in Dynasty…and should be your choice when/if to draft him in Best Ball/deeper redraft roster leagues.
Philips is the #100+ ranked WR in Dynasty, consensus ADPs…and ditto +100+ in consensus ADP in Redraft, a #300+ overall ADP. It's a terrific bargain/value for a guy who could be a WR2/3 in PPR right off the bat in FF 2023…trying to become an Edelman-like producer, and maybe a big step someday to being a Cooper Kupp-lite. We have him as a top 75 WR for redraft 2023…a top 60 and climbing Dynasty WR.
I wouldn't be shocked if Mike Vrabel DID NOT put Philips on the field enough to get to WR3 status in PPR. But I could also see Vrabel grooming the talented grinder Philips, an Edelman-like hopeful, into a 100+ catch season WR in 2023.
I like Tannehill-Philips as it is…but I am super-intrigued by Levis-Philips into the future. For the cost, it's worth considering depending upon your format and roster sizes.
A nice summary article/report of Philips' 2022 and his changes into 2023: https://www.tennesseetitans.com/news/after-an-injury-shortened-rookie-season-titans-wr-kyle-philips-motivated-to-do-m
