With A.J. Brown gone, here's how Tennessee Titans' Nick Westbrook-Ikhine plans to make 2022 leap

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine said his goal is to be a more complete receiver in 2022.

“Making those big-time plays that we need,” Westbrook-Ikhine said last week. “I can look back and think of a couple plays that come to mind where if I make that play in the game, it has a totally different outcome. … Just having that mentality of understanding what’s needed and what I want to bring to the table this year.”

After a limited role as an undrafted rookie in 2020, Westbrook-Ikhine was the Titans’ most dependable receiver last season, appearing in 16 games – more than A.J. Brown (13) and Julio Jones (10). He posted 38 receptions for 476 yards and four touchdowns, all career highs.

The former Indiana standout played across the formation – his versatility earned the praise of coaches – and maintained a core role on special teams.

In being a more complete receiver, Westbrook-Ikhine hopes to be a more explosive player and a bigger threat in yards-after-the-catch situations.

“Making contested catches, getting separation,” he explained. “Just being a more complete receiver overall and most importantly, continuing to gain that trust with (quarterback) Ryan (Tannehill) going into this season.”

“Part of that is in the weight room,” Westbrook-Ikhine added. “Being more explosive, working on explosive drills. And then I feel like the mentality of after you catch a ball, finish to the end zone or act like you’re making someone miss. You can’t get a full, live rep against someone, but you can do as much as you can so that when those live reps come, you’ve already trained your mind and your body to do that.”

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Westbrook-Ikhine is expected to have an even bigger role in 2022, being the receiver on the roster with the most in-game experience with the Titans. Brown was traded, Jones was released, veterans Robert Woods (trade) and Josh Malone (free agency) joined the team this offseason and the Titans drafted two receivers: Treylon Burks (first round) and Kyle Philips (fifth round).

Westbrook-Ikhine said Woods has already stepped up in the wake of the Brown trade – providing advice and working with his younger teammates on the little details of route running and breaking down coverages – but he also understands that he, too, must take on a more pronounced role.

“The first thing was like, ‘Wow, I wasn’t expecting it,’ ” Westbrook-Ikhine said of the Brown trade. “Then the next thing is, ‘Alright, that leaves a big opportunity for me.’ It just kind of raises that next level of attention to detail going into this offseason.”

“I feel like I’ve been in this position before,” Westbrook-Ikhine added. “This same cycle has happened before in high school, where I didn’t really do much my freshman year. We had a (stud) at receiver my sophomore year and then he transferred, and it was like, ‘you have to step up.’ In college, it was a similar thing. Didn’t really play much freshman year. Sophomore year, we had a dude who got hurt and I had to step up. So I’ve been in that situation before. So I just kind of embrace it now, knowing I’ve done it before and it gives me that extra confidence.”

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