NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A little less than four months ago, Corey Davis stood in a nearly empty Tennessee Titans locker room wearing a white hoodie with the hood up and talking barely above a whisper. He was coming off the most impressive game of his rookie campaign in a playoff game, but his voice was full of disappointment.
Disappointed that the Titans' season ended. Disappointed that the Titans finished 23rd in passing offense last season. Disappointed that no wide receiver had more than 800 yards. Disappointed that injuries put a major damper on his rookie season, as he finished with 34 catches, 375 yards and no touchdowns in 11 regular-season games.
So, predictably, wide receiver was regarded by many as one of the Titans' needs this offseason because of 2017's lackluster production, but Titans general manager Jon Robinson virtually ignored the position. Why? Because he's betting big on Davis becoming a reliable No. 1 receiver in 2018 and leading the way for substantial progress from the rest of the Titans' understated and developing receiver group.
"I like that position group -- I really do," Robinson said.
Robinson's optimism appears to be two-fold. First, he believes the Titans will be a much more productive, flexible and modernized offense thanks to having new coordinator Matt LaFleur, a guy who should lead to better route combinations for Davis, Rishard Matthews and Taywan Taylor. Second, Davis finally will have a full offseason to focus on enhancing his body for the NFL stage and advancing his game after a hectic, injury-plagued rookie campaign.
Davis had ankle and hamstring injuries that caused him to miss the entire draft process, most of the Titans' offseason workouts and training camp, all of preseason and five regular-season games. Davis didn't get back on track until late in the season when he had big games against the Rams (six catches, 91 yards) and Patriots (five catches, 63 yards, 2 TDs). That's why this offseason, and getting better chemistry with quarterback Marcus Mariota, is so important.
"I'm sure for him it's nice to just focus on football. It's probably relatively the same with me," Mariota said.
I enlisted the help of ESPN analyst Matt Bowen, who played seven years in the NFL and excels at breaking down film, to judge whether the Titans are smart to bet big on Davis. Bowen picked Davis as one of his 10 players primed to break out in Year 2.
"I try to put myself in his shoes and think how challenging it is to miss that much time in Year 1," Bowen said. "That can derail a lot of rookies, push them off a trail that they don't ever recover from. The fact that he came back, and shined against the Rams and Patriots, shows what his upside is. I love his size, I love his skill set, and I love that you saw glimpses of it on film."
Pressure will be on Davis to turn those glimpses into permanent marks. He was drafted fifth overall in the 2017 draft to be a star, not a role player. The path is clear. His progression could decide how good the Titans will be this season.
"You watch the film on Corey Davis and you see he has the makeup of a No. 1 receiver. We never got a 40 time on him, but it looks like he plays at a high-4.4, low-4.5 [40-yard dash] speed," Bowen said. "The next step with him is to take those No. 1 wide receiver measurables and combine it with No. 1 receiver route running. The biggest thing is going to be can he separate?"
Davis didn't create a lot of separation last season, but his game has been predicated on his strong ball skills, knack for tough, often spectacular, grabs and ability to use his body to box out defenders.
The Titans haven't ruled out signing a veteran later this offseason like they did with Eric Decker last June. Robinson has just added veteran Michael Campanaro, who is most effective as a returner. He said they're happy with what they've got in Davis, Matthews and Taylor, likely their top three options if the season started today. They are also high on third-year receiver Tajae Sharpe being a promising fourth option.
Several Titans receivers, including Davis, spent at least a week in California catching passes and working out with Mariota earlier this offseason. It was one of the first steps in strengthening the chemistry needed for a Mariota-Davis duo to spark something special.
"I think Davis can be, and I want him to be, a reliable No. 1 receiver who creates matchups for your young quarterback who can still be a star," Bowen said. "He has to master his role in that offense, win on third down and the red zone, being able to move inside in key situations to get a first down. After that, then you want to see his playmaking ability take over."
An example of Davis' immense potential came in his final game of the season, a 35-14 divisional-round loss to the Patriots. Davis had a field day against then-Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, scoring two touchdowns on him and running his most precise routes of the season.
On his first touchdown, Davis ran a double move to get slight separation from Butler in the end zone. He was not bothered by Butler holding down his right arm, instead deciding one was enough as he secured the catch in his left arm, got two feet down in bounds, and secured the ball as he slid through the back of the end zone.
Butler didn't play poorly. Davis rose to the occasion and finally began to look comfortable after injuries derailed his rookie seasons. The Titans still went on to sign Butler to a five-year, $61.25 million contract two months after that game. So what does that say about Davis?
"Corey Davis got me -- I'll say once because he made a great play on the first touchdown," Butler said after being introduced as the Titans' newest cornerback. "I'll be looking for some get-back when it get crunk up over here."
Those practice battles, between two competitive players, should be popping. "Get ya popcorn ready," as Terrell Owens used to say.
Bowen said based on body type and measurables, a comparable ceiling for Davis could be a combination of peak Jordy Nelson -- with natural downfield ability, big catch radius, dependability and slot/outside versatility -- and the Broncos' version of Brandon Marshall, with strength and size making him a nightmare cover.
"If Corey Davis can develop into Jordy Nelson, I think the Titans will be happy," Bowen said. "It's all about consistency. We saw the glimpses. We've got to get that all the time. Hopefully, he'll get coached hard and pushed to be special."
Left tackle Taylor Lewan picked Davis as the most likely Titans player to make a Year 2 jump. For fantasy football players, I highly recommend Davis as a breakout candidate who could help win you a league, especially with what his value looks like now in most rankings. If 2018 goes the way the Titans plan, Davis could become Mariota's top offensive weapon and a central reason why the team will be making noise in January.