The Tennessee Titans are on the up. Their new face of the franchise, Cam Ward, is in the building, offering all the traits you associate with the modern game’s top quarterbacks. But, as we all know, a young signal-caller needs weapons, and plenty of unknowns reside in the Titans’ receiving corps. Calvin Ridley is locked and loaded as Ward’s top guy, but what about the rest? What does a veteran Tyler Lockett still have in the tank? What do fourth-round selections Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor have to offer? And, could undrafted free agent Xavier Restrepo be the real wide receiver two behind Calvin Ridley? Let’s break it all down.
The Rookies
Whilst many fans would have been disappointed not to get a Day Two pass catcher to pair up with Cam Ward, they did at least get three very intriguing names to learn about. Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor, and Xavier Restrepo all had a bit of buzz around them throughout the pre-draft process, offering different skill sets to bolster this pass-catching unit.
Chimere Dike was the first off, and the board selected 103rd overall. This was a shock to many fans watching, as Dike was widely regarded as a less attractive option than many other wideouts who were still available for the Titans here. One happens to be their other fourth-round receiver selection, whom we will discuss shortly.
The Florida Gator was a big play machine over the final couple of seasons of college ball, averaging 17.26 yards per reception in 2023 and 18.64 yards per reception in 2024. He has speed for days, logging a 4.34 40-yard dash, which helped him collect 1,111 yards and three touchdowns over those final two seasons. It’s not exactly eye-popping production, but his ability to take the top off the defense is undeniable, and he could be a fantastic pairing with Cam Ward’s cannon arm.
With further refinement to his route-running and catching, he could become more than just a deep threat; it will take work.
Taken 33 spots after Dike was Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor, who initially appeared to be one of the best values in the draft, landing inside many analysts’ top 10 receiver rankings. Standing at 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds, Ayomanor stacks up as your typical outside receiver, offering a big target to aim at who can be physical at the catch point.
He suffered a brutal injury in 2022 that kept him out the entire season but recovered well and posted an impressive 1,013 yards and six touchdowns in 2023, earning First-team All-ACC honors for his efforts. He moves well for a player of his size and is a quality run blocker, meaning there is no need to take him off the field. He has struggled with his hands sometimes but brings so much physicality and nuance on the perimeter at a size that he was worth shooting at.
Moreover, he could be the perfect response to division rivals Jacksonville’s big swing for Travis Hunter. Ayomanor is responsible for Hunter’s only humiliation at the cornerback position, bringing in 13 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns against Colorado in 2023. It’s fair to say Elic bullied Travis in that one, and the Titans will be hoping he can do the same now that they will see each other twice a year in the NFL.
The final rookie of note is an undrafted one, Xavier Restrepo. Restrepo fell out of the draft thanks to his dismal 4.85 40-yard dash. That is a catastrophic time for a wide receiver. Still, his college tape does show a guy who gets open regularly from the slot, and having been at Miami with Cam Ward, he already has a top connection with the Titans’ new quarterback.
Of all of these rookies, Ayomanor is arguably the most exciting. While he doesn’t have the burning speed of Dike, he offers everything you want from a size and physicality standpoint on the outside, which is a tricky position to fill for teams in the NFL. Hopefully, he can improve his hands and show more consistent separation ability against all coverages, making him an every-down receiver for Cam Ward. He is the name to watch for a wide receiver two across from Calvin Ridley in 2025.
However, all three should fit well, setting up Ward well for the immediate and long-term future. Ayomanor is the big-bodied outside threat, Dike has the speed to take the top off the defense, with the potential to evolve into much more, and Restrepo is the familiar option from the slot. Cam Ward should feel good about his future, provided the Titans coaching staff can get the best out of these exciting young weapons. And, while they are doing that, Ridley can carry the load as the top wideout alongside some other useful veterans, who we will get onto in the next segment.
Finally, we briefly mention tight end Gunnar Helm, the Titan’s other fourth-round selection. Helm is coming off a fantastic season with 786 yards and seven touchdowns for Texas, with just two drops. He is a beast after the catch and has some nuance to his routes but struggles as a run blocker. His early work will undoubtedly be in the receiving game, but Helm will be a three-down weapon and a huge asset to the offense if he can improve as a run blocker.
The Veterans
On the veteran front, Tyler Lockett is the biggest name coming to help the pass-catching group. He has just wrapped up a fantastic 10-year tenure in Seattle, where he was exactly what you want from your number 2 receiver. Yes, he is now 32 years old. However, he will offer invaluable experience and mentorship for this young pass-catching group while still offering value as a reliable set of hands. He should be a dependable option for Cam Ward on short and intermediate routes, pairing up very nicely with Calvin Ridley on the outside.
Treylon Burks is an interesting name for Titans fans to ponder. He has fallen well short of the expectations placed on him when going in the first round in 2022, but injuries have not made things easy for him. It is hard to imagine him earning himself a significant role, and there are now rumors circling of a potential trade to Pittsburgh. If he does suit up for the Titans, fans will hope that Cam Ward can produce some life from Burks heading into his fourth season.
Overall, it is an intriguing group of pass catchers. Ridley is primed and ready to be the reliable number-one option from Week 1, with Lockett likely opening the season as the team’s slot receiver. It will then be a case of seeing how quickly the likes of Dike, Ayomanor, and Restrepo can force their way into the starting lineup. If they can do so soon, then there is every chance we will see a huge jump from this Titans offense in 2025, especially considering the arrival of Ward and the improvements along the offensive line.
