NFL cut day is approaching, as teams will trim their rosters down to the allowed limit of 53. The Titans have a ton of tough decisions to make at multiple positions, wide receiver being one of them. Though many are expecting Tennessee to cut one of the young, undrafted receivers, there is one WR who has been on the team for a couple of years who could be a surprise cut come Monday.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020 by the Titans. The former Indiana star made a mark on special teams his rookie year and continued to improve his game. Ikhine’s work ethic and tough-nose style of play caught the attention of Mike Vrabel, who advocated for the receiver on numerous occasions. By his third year in the league, Westbrook-Ikhine became an important part of the Titans’ WR room, being one of the top three receivers. As we started to see more of Westbrook, we quickly realized one thing: He can’t be one of your three best receivers!!

NWI was the WR2 for most of 2022, and he didn’t really do much with his big opportunity. Westbrook played all 17 games and had just 397 receiving yards. Zero-catch games were super common for NWI in 2022, as he failed to haul in a catch six different times last year. As a result, Tennessee made wide receiver a key focus in the offseason, signing Deandre Hopkins and Chris Moore and drafting Colton Dowell. Heading into 2023, it doesn’t look great for Nick Westbrook-Ikhine…

Though I believe NWI getting cut is possible, it is super unlikely because he has the most experience in the Titans’ offense and is a “Vrabel Guy”. A “Vrabel Guy” is someone who is tough, gritty, and works their tail off. On the off chance he does get, I would totally understand the move from the Titans’ perspective. NWI has reached his ceiling as a pass catcher, and his value on special teams doesn’t move me as much anymore because the Titans have a young receiver who can do what NWI already does: Colton Dowell. Though Dowell has been inconsistent all throughout camp, his value on special teams is still great, and he has more juice than Westbrook-Ikhine. Still, I believe NWI’s experience, relationships with Vrabel and Tannehill, and the recent wide receiver injuries keep him on the team for 2023. But his roster status isn’t set in stone one bit…