Titans Rookie WR Battle Heats Up

Tennessee Titans fans were shocked when Elic Ayomanor was listed as a starting wide receiver on the team's first unofficial depth chart. Plenty can change ahead of Sunday's Week 1 opener, but early indications point towards the 6'2'' 206-pound WR getting the start.

Ayomanor was drafted by the Titans in the 4th round. Tennessee utilitzed picks 103, 120, and 136 to obtain a pair of wideouts and a tight end. Ayomanor was selected last out of the three, but remains ahead of them on the depth chart.

The Stanford graduate earned his starting spot after a stellar preseason performance. Ayomanor hauled in five receptions for 72 yards, averaging an incredible 14.4 yards per reception. Only TE Gunnar Helm was able to put up similar numbers: five receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown. Thankfully for Ayomanor, Helm isn't direct competition.

Even though Chimere Dike was selected 33 picks ahead of Ayomanor, he failed to earn that starting spot. Plenty can change in the weeks to come, but HC Brian Callahan has seen enough from both to determine that Ayomanor is going to give the team the best chance to win.

72 preseason yards leaves little room to argue. The 22-year-old played just two seasons at Stanford, putting up 1,844 yards in that time. While his yards per reception went down from 16.3 to 13.2, he held steady with six touchdowns in each season.

Cardinal fans haven't forgotten about the 97-yard house call he had in his rookie season. Stanford's iconic 46-43 double overtime win over Colorado saw Ayomanor put up numbers the school has never seen. As a rookie, he left that game with 13 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns.

That said, take nothing away from Chimere Dike. The five-year college player began his career at Wisconsin before finishing at Florida. He put up some of the best numbers of his career as a Gator, though he ended the season with just two touchdowns. Dike might not see the endzone much as a Titan, but his role with the team has already been carved out.

Unlike Ayomanor, Dike didn't finish a single game last season with 100+ yards. Ayomanor accomplished that feat six times in his college career, three times each season. One would have to go back to 2022 for Dike's last monster performance: 10 receptions for 185 yards and three touchdowns against Northwestern.

No matter who is listed as the starter on the depth chart, Ayomanor and Dike have their work cut out for them this season. They'll each see significant playing time, as will Helm. The Titans offense continues to go through a learning period as they once again have a new starting QB. Luckily for these three, they all enter the NFL in the same situation as Cam Ward.