Is DeAndre Hopkins or Calvin Ridley the WR1 for the Titans?

May 9, 2024

Who will be the Titans' WR1 in their new-look offense? Alex gives his analysis on Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins and breaks down the most logical candidate.

The Tennessee Titans offense was one to forget in 2023. Led by the amalgamation of Ryan Tannehill and Will Levis, the Titans finished last in the AFC South at 6-11. They were 27th in points per game and 28th in total offensive yards -- ranking ahead of only the Panthers, Jets, Giants, and Patriots. Oof.

Perhaps due to a lack of pass-catching weapons, this is something Tennessee has certainly addressed this offseason with the signings of Calvin Ridley and even Tyler Boyd in recent days. They've also welcomed a new offensive coordinator -- Nick Holz.

While the success of this team hinges on the development of Will Levis, at least one of these WRs will likely be helpful for our fantasy teams. Let's see who that is.

The Titans' new WR duo 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Jsx5aF880B

— PFF (@PFF) March 29, 2024

Who is the Tennessee Titans' WR1?

If Will Levis has anything going for him, it's the fact that he is not afraid of delivering the ball through contact. Levis can be seen on quite a few occasions slinging the ball with full confidence in the face of pressure. He wasn't very good when pressured, but he's going to at least give his guys a chance. Something that caught my eye when perusing stats is that DeAndre Hopkins had his worst season regarding contested catches. He typically has had a success rate greater than 40% in his career -- in 2023, we saw that decline to 30.6%. Ridley wasn't much better at 33.3%, but at this point in their careers, he's the better separator.

Eerily enough, Hopkins and Ridley have a ton of very close statistics and metrics from this past season. They both ranked in the top 10 of the league in air yards and unrealized air yards, and both had the same number of targets (136). Hopkins was essentially a one-man show last season, so I expect his targets will assuredly come down. Ridley should also see a dip in targets now that he'll be lined up across from another quality wide receiver. However, a feather in Ridley's cap is that he is at least familiar with the Titans' new coordinator. Ridley spent time with Holz this past season in Jacksonville.

It will be interesting to see how these players are deployed in this new system. Last year, Ridley played more snaps from the slot than he previously had -- when he didn't, most of his route tree was vertical. With Boyd in the fold, Ridley may get to run a majority of his snaps outside at the flanker position -- his primary spot when he played across from Julio Jones. This should afford Ridley to work off the ball more often -- a situation in which he excels.

Calvin Ridley projects as the Titans' WR1, if only by a small margin when we consider his route-running prowess. Because Levis isn't afraid to attempt any throw, Ridley should see more targets if he offers a more open window to have the ball thrown. Currently being taken in the same ADP range, I'm more likely to snag whichever WR falls farther. If faced with the choice of both, Ridley is the preferred option, as he offers a more reliable intermediate target.

First look at @CalvinRidley1 in the two-tone blue 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RdBKLab2bD

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) March 15, 2024

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