10 Lessons the 2016 NFL Preseason Has Taught Us So Far
Tajae Sharpe Is the Real Deal
It’s not nearly as flashy as the aforementioned passing attack, but the Tennessee Titans’ offense is going to be quietly efficient this year -- part “exotic smashmouth,” part “surgical devastation”. One of the key players in this revamped aerial assault could be fifth-round rookie wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, who has done so well that he bumped a former second-round pick out of the starting lineup and then off the team.
Sharpe has run exclusively with the first-team this offseason and has caught both of his targets for a total of 35 yards receiving in the preseason. This comes a year after Sharpe put up 176 targets in his senior year in college. No, Sharpe isn’t a deep threat or likely to contribute double-digit touchdowns, but he is a smooth route-runner and has secure hands. That makes him the perfect security blanket for quarterback Marcus Mariota, who had a mediocre 18th-best Passing Success Rate among the 39 quarterbacks to take 150 or more drop backs last year.
