Titans HC Explains Why Rookie WR is Starting

The Tennessee Titans listed their fourth-round rookie Elic Ayomanor as a starting wide receiver on their first unofficial depth chart. He will trot out onto the field first alongside veteran wideouts Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett when the Titans open their season against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Ayomanor has worked hard since he was selected by the Titans back in April. He's grinded through OTAs, training camp and the preseason, and he's been impressive every step of the way. His hard work and consistency caught the eye of the coaching staff, and now he'll be starter in his first ever NFL regular season game.

"It's his consistency," said Titans Head Coach Brian Callahan. "He's shown up in practices, he's shown up in games. He's strong, he's fast, he's made plays when the ball is thrown his way. He's earned the right to be the first guy to walk out there."

In the preseason, Ayomanor made every snap count. He played just 38 passing downs, but was targeted 10 times and caught five of those passes for 72 yards. He played both in the slot and out wide and wasn't credited with a single drop.

Tennessee Titans, WR, Elic Ayomano — Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (5) runs during an NFL football training camp practice at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the plan is for Ayomanor to start and see a heavy workload, Callahan warned the media from counting out the other receivers on the roster. Chimere Dike, Van Jefferson and Bryce Oliver will all see the field in the opener, and they're counting on all six of their receivers playing some type of a role in this offense.

"That doesn't mean [Ayomanor] is going to be the only guy who's going to be out there," Callahan said. "We're going to have receivers up on game day, and they're all going to play, they're all going to have roles. We're counting on all those guys to produce and perform for us."

The Titans' wide receiver room, though not as notable as some around the league, has a lot of guys who can help out rookie quarterback Cam Ward. They have three proven veterans in Tyler Lockett, Calvin Ridley and Van Jefferson, but also have an influx of exciting, young talent in Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike and Bryce Oliver.

The Broncos defense will be a stiff test for Tennessee's offense, but it will be exciting to get our first look at Ward, Ayomanor and the rest of the offensive rookies in a regular season game.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!