FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks was selected 18th overall by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night to become the first Razorback taken in the first round since running back Darren McFadden was taken fourth overall in 2008.
Burks being selected 18th overall adds to his long list of accomplishments as a Razorback. He is the first Arkansas wide receiver to be selected in the first round since the legendary Matt Jones was taken 21st overall by Jacksonville in 2006 and along with Jones joins Lance Alworth (8th overall by San Francisco in 1962) as the only Razorbacks selected as wide receivers in the first round. Burks becomes the 24th Razorback picked in the first round and joins Frank Ragnow (20 in 2018), McFadden, Felix Jones (22 in 2008), Matt Jones, Shawn Andrews (21 in 2004) and Ahmad Carroll (25 in 2004) as first round picks since 2000.
Burks becomes the third Razorback taken by Tennessee and first since OL Sebastian Tretola in 2016. Burks extends Arkansas’ streak of having at least one player selected in the NFL Draft to 27 straight. He is the first wide receiver from Arkansas drafted since Cobi Hamilton in 2013 when he went to Cincinnati in the sixth round.
Burks produced one of the best seasons ever by an Arkansas pass catcher in 2021 and is arguably one of the best receivers to ever wear a Razorback uniform. In his final season on The Hill, he hauled in 66 passes for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns to earn First-Team All-SEC Honors. His 1,104 yards made him just the fourth receiver in school history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark and first since 2012. The Arkansas record book is dotted with Burks’ name, ranking sixth all time in career receptions (146) and receiving yards (2,399) and tied for fifth all time with 18 touchdown catches. The Warren, Ark. native set the single-season school record for 100-yard receiving games with six and ended his career with a school record 10. Burks’ 66 receptions in 2021 are tied for the second-most by a Hog in a single season with his 1,104 yards putting him in third for a single season by a Razorback. His 11 TDs were one shy of the single-season school record and the most by a Razorback since 2011.
He ended his three-year Arkansas career, earning All-SEC honors all three years. As a freshman in 2019, he was named to the All-Freshman team as a wide receiver and a Second-Team All-SEC punt returner. He earned Second-Team status as a wide receiver as a sophomore before moving up to First-Team honors as a junior in 2021.
The NFL Draft continues tomorrow with rounds 2-3 and concludes on Saturday with rounds 4-7.