Tennessee Titans Rookie Could be the Steal of the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft saw many hopefuls hear their names called, where their journey as professional football players officially began. And among the players to be selected was former Stanford Cardinal wide receiver, Elic Ayomanor, who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round. But while the Titans were able to take him late, they could very well see that investment pay off rather quickly.

The Titans receiver room is flooded with talent, with Calvin Ridley and Treylon Burks headlining the group. Both of those guys are expected to play big roles for the Titans this season and be major tools to help rookie quarterback, and No. 1 overall pick, Cam Ward.

While the talent is there, one thing that the Titans lacked going into the draft was a physical wide receiver, like Ayomanor--someone who uses their size to their advantage and is aggressive in making catches.

Ridley and Burks are known for their speed, and while that is a very good thing, Ayomanor brings a new element that was much needed--which could lead to him seeing more field time early on. And in a breakdown done by The Athletic, the Titans selection of Ayomanor gives Ward another good weapon that could help the Titans' offense evolve into one of the league's best.

"Brugler ranked Ayomanor as the No. 11 receiver in the draft, with a third round grade, in "The Beast," and I thought the Titans would grab him with the first pick of the fourth round because he's exactly what they lack-- a physical receiver," The Athletic wrote.

"They gave one away three years ago in A.J. Brown. Treylon Burks hasn't filled the hole. Instead, the Titans went with Florida speedster Chimere Dike, then still got Ayomanor at No. 136. That's good value, and in between, the Titans grabbed Texas tight end, Gunnar Helm, at 120.

"In less than two hours, Cam Ward's menu of viable pass-catching options increased significantly. And even if it was one fluky night, it's nice to bring in a guy in Ayomanor who has 'cooked Travis Hunter for 294 yards' on his resume."

Despite playing only two seasons for Stanford after missing his true freshman season due to an injury, Ayomanor wasted no time in becoming the team's No. 1 wideout.

After finishing the 2023 season with over 1,000 yards, he had over 830 as a sophomore despite the Cardinal having inconsistent quarterback play for much of the season. And now that Ayomanor is paired up with a top tier quarterback, he could really see his numbers improve over time.

To start off, it is likely that Ayomanor will not see a ton of field time given the current makeup of the receiver room. But it would not be surprising to see him take on a bigger role as the season progresses, especially as it gets later in the year and his physicality is needed.

But he also ends up on a team where the need for him to play right away is not dire, allowing him time to develop into a starting caliber player.

If Ayomanor is as advertised, the Titans got a good one. And for a head coach in Brian Callahan that values a high powered offense, Ayomanor could be the key to helping the Titans become just that.