On the surface, Tennessee Titans second-round draft pick Justin Hunter has endured a rough start to his NFL career. He missed offseason practices with a hamstring injury, has been publicly called out by his position coach and has shown inconsistent hands throughout training camp.
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Digging deeper, though, teammates and coaches remain confident in Hunter's potential to be an impact player at wide receiver.
"I can't wait until Justin Hunterrealizes that he is a star," strong safety Bernard Pollard said, via The Tennessean. "It is out of control how good that guy could be."
After a drop-filled start to training camp, Hunter has started to flash the form that drew comparisons to A.J. Green at the University of Tennessee.
"When Justin realizes he can go in there and single-handedly destroy a defense, I think this team is going to be in for something," Pollard added. "And we need Justin Hunter to perform now, we can't wait. Because we are chasing that Lombardi Trophy and he's the kind of guy who could help us get it."
Lest you think Pollard's predictions are hyperbolic, keep in mind that Hunter was NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell's pick as the "most intriguing" and "most physically talented" wide receiver in the 2013 NFL Draft.
As long as Kenny Britt stays healthy and Kendall Wright "makes the leap," the Titans will ease Hunter into the rotation as a rookie. It's probably for the best, as it's evident Hunter will need to add bulk to get off the jam against NFL cornerbacks.
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