Treylon Burks impresses – plus five other takeaways from Tennessee Titans training camp Day 1

The Tennessee Titans opened the 2022 preseason Wednesday, holding their first training camp practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park.

Here’s what stood out:

Strong day from Treylon Burks

After a rough spring, defined by asthma and conditioning issues, first-round pick Treylon Burks had his best practice to kick off training camp.

The rookie from Arkansas took on a full load in individual and team drills, making some nice catches. His best play came in 7-on-7 work, when he made a diving catch on a deep ball from Ryan Tannehill down the sideline. It was the second play of the drill, a win against cornerback Kristian Fulton.

In a slimmer frame – Burks said he’s lost five or six pounds – he showed no signs of laboring or fatigue. He looked comfortable.

All Titans stars accounted for

There were no notable absences. Star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who was present but did not participate in June’s mandatory minicamp, was on the field practicing, as coach Mike Vrabel indicated he would Tuesday. All-Pro safety Kevin Byard, who missed the last practice of mandatory minicamp for family reasons, was also back.

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Progress from Robert Woods, Caleb Farley

Wide receiver Robert Woods and cornerback Caleb Farley were no longer in knee braces. No one was wearing non-contact yellow jerseys either, another sign that Tennessee is in good shape health-wise.

Just three players are on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start training camp: linebacker Monty Rice, tight end Tommy Hudson and place kicker Caleb Shudak.

Rough start to 7-on-7 work for Kristian Fulton

Fulton, the Titans’ top cornerback, gave up two long passes to start 7-on-7 work. The first was a touchdown to receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who got behind Fulton on a post route. The next play, Burks made the aforementioned diving reception down the sideline.

“Talking to Kristian, he has high expectations for himself,” Byard said. “His standard is high as well. After getting beat on one play and then another play, just tell him, ‘hey, you’ll have another opportunity’ … It’s a teaching lesson. That’s what camp is about, first day of camp.”

“I know he’ll bounce back strong (Thursday).”

Perfect kicking

Place kicker Randy Bullock went 8-for-8 on field goals. The distance on his first one was unclear, but he hit from 33, 37, 44, 42, 48, 50 and 43 yards.

With Shudak on PUP, Bullock was the only placekicker on the field.

Head protection for several players

The Titans offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers, tight ends and fullback Tory Carter wore guardian caps over their helmets, which are designed to limit head injuries.

“I think the science and the data is to a point now where that's best for the player, for their health and safety,” Vrabel said Tuesday. “When you talk about impact, the force and the amount of impact, it can reduce it up to 20 percent if two players are wearing that. That's pretty significant. Everybody will wear those.”

Up next

The Titans continue training camp Thursday morning.

Ben Arthur covers the Tennessee Titans for The USA TODAY Network. Contact him at barthur@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @benyarthur.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans training camp Day 1: Treylon Burks has best practice