2022 NFL Draft Profile: WR Treylon Burks -

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A local kid, Treylon Burks decided to stay in his home state for college by enrolling at the University of Arkansas. In spite of less-than-stellar QB play, Burks made the All-SEC team in every season of his collegiate career, including 1st-Team All-SEC for the 2021 season. In doing so, Burks became only the 4th wide receiver in Arkansas history to produce a 1,000-yard season. Burks now enters the 2022 NFL Draft as one of the best WR prospects in his class.

NAME Treylon Burks

POSITION Wide Receiver

HEIGHT 6’3″

WEIGHT 225 pounds

SCHOOL Arkansas

Strengths

During his college career, Treylon Burks lined up all over the field. More importantly, he found success no matter his positioning in the formation. When he was on the outside, Burks demonstrated the ability to beat all types of coverage (press, off, zone). He tracks deep balls very well and can make route adjustments in order to be in a position to make the catch. Burks also uses his speed and athleticism to gain separation at the top of his routes. So while a defender may appear to have good coverage, Burks has such a great sense of timing that he knows the exact moment to gain a yard or two of separation at the catch point.

When Burks cannot gain that extra separation at the end, he uses his 6’3″ to make contested catches. His strong hands as well as his ability to elevate make Burks one of the best jump-ball specialists in this 2022 draft class.

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In the slot, Burks demonstrates both his athletic ability and his football intelligence. He always seems to find the soft spot in the zone. When he catches the ball in space, Burks uses his speed to create a lot of yards after the catch (YAC). Of all his traits, the YAC ability might be Burks’ best. Oftentimes, he can make defenders miss tackles, even when they appear to have the proper angle or technique.

Given his athleticism, he makes the most out of any play where he has the ball in his hands. At Arkansas, Burks ran the ball from the backfield. Again, his speed is a major factor as to why he has gotten those opportunities. Very few wide receivers can consistently gain first-downs on the ground. And it’s not just running back style carries that Burks received. There were times when he would run a jet sweep or end-around. Burks has true home-run play-making where he can score from almost anywhere on the field.

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Weaknesses

When Burks runs his routes, he does not use a lot of double moves. He is not disgusting the route as a way to help get open. Instead, Burks relies purely on his speed to beat defensive backs. That worked in college, but in the NFL, he may not be able to get the same amount of separation based only on his athleticism.

With the ball in his hands, at times Burks will reverse field in order to make a big play. In college, he found success that way because Burks was often a better athlete than his opponent. However, in the NFL, reversing a field like that can lead to a significant loss of yards.

Ideal Role

Because of his combination of size and speed, I could easily see NFL teams draft Burks as a perimeter receiver. However, still needing to refine his route running Burks’ immediate success may come mostly in the slot at the next level. One of the aspects of his game that can translate is the yards after the catch instincts. While defenders get bigger and stronger in the NFL, you can’t take away the mental side of the game. In addition to his YAC ability, Burks has a knack for finding the soft spots in zone coverage. Playing in the slot, Burks would likely see more zone coverage than anything.

Ideally, any team drafting Burks will use his versatility to their advantage. They could move Burks around the formation, both inside the slot and as an outside wide receiver. This is in addition to his ground game. Burks received almost 30 carries over the course of his final two college seasons. He may not get that many rushing attempts in the NFL, but Burks can still be incorporated in the run game.

Potential Fits

Because Burks can line up all over the field and because he can make catches at every level, most teams would be able to find a role for him. Even if Burks plays primarily in the slot to start his NFL career, there will still be plenty of teams that consider him an alpha WR for their squad. Slot receiver isn’t a pejorative term anymore. As time goes on, more and more NFL teams are moving their best-receiving options into the slot.

In terms of the absolute best fits for Burks, I am looking at teams without a clear alpha WR. Considering the likely exodus of several wide receivers from Cleveland, the Browns could certainly use a player of Burks’ caliber. Whether he is traded, or just flat out released, it seems unlikely that Jarvis Landry will remain with the Browns. That opens up the slot for Burks, while leaving a pair of young field stretchers (Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz) or the perimeter.

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The last time the Patriots selected a WR in the 1st round of the NFL draft, it did not end well as N’Keal Harry has failed to develop. Based purely on body type, Burks would bring a size element to the starting New England WR corps. Now the only issue here is that the Patriots may prefer to keep Jakobi Meyers in the slot. While I believe Burks can eventually produce on the perimeter, I still think the immediate success will come from the slot.

If Burks falls out of the 1st round entirely, perhaps a team like the Lions or the Jets will select him early in the 2nd round. Both franchises are in need of a big body alpha. But both teams may also want Burks on the outside. So far, the Browns seem like the best fit based on potential slot WR usage. However, maybe the Falcons are just as good of a situation. Atlanta has already demonstrated a willingness to move 2021 1st-round pick, Kyle Pitts, around the formation. Perhaps it is that type of coaching scheme that Burks could benefit from.

Thank you for reading 2022 NFL Draft Profile: WR Treylon Burks. Be sure to check out all of the great 2022 NFL Draft content available on Full Press Coverage.

– Kyle Senra is the managing editor for the Full Press Fantasy Sports. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @SenraSays Follow @FPC_FantasyPod and Facebook.