Nobody at Tennessee Titans camp expected the loudest receiver buzz to center on Elic Ayomanor, but that’s exactly how the first two weeks in Nashville have gone.
The Titans built out their pass-catching group around Cam Ward this offseason, spending the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Carnell Tate and giving Wan’Dale Robinson $78 million to leave the Giants. Calvin Ridley is still in the mix, too. Even with all that attention elsewhere, it’s Ayomanor - the second-year player who was a role guy last season - who has kept drawing praise from the beat writers watching every rep.
Jim Wyatt of Titans.com said Ayomanor has been one of camp’s biggest stars, and the production has matched the buzz. Wyatt tracked nine catches for Ayomanor in team periods across the first three practices, while ESPN’s Turron Davenport reported a back-shoulder sideline grab from Ward. On the first padded day, when a bigger receiver’s physical edge should show up, Ayomanor kept stacking wins.
Ayomanor said the work he put in this offseason in Atlanta helped him make a noticeable jump. He focused on explosive on-field reps instead of spending his time in the weight room, and he said both he and KJ Osborn added about 7 pounds of muscle in about a month and a half.
“I feel like I’ve made leaps and bounds in that,” Ayomanor said. “If you just cut the tape, boom.
This time last year, cut the tape, boom. This time this year, totally different.”
There was a brief scare Thursday when Ayomanor landed awkwardly after a collision with safety Kevin Winston Jr. on a red zone throw and went down clutching his left shoulder. He walked off with a trainer, but head coach Robert Saleh said the shoulder felt stable. By Friday, longtime Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky reported that the injury had checked out and Ayomanor was good to go.
The bigger picture around Ayomanor is simple enough: camp performance is one thing, but the pecking order still matters. Saleh turned the offense over to Brian Daboll, who helped develop Josh Allen in Buffalo and now has the job of steering Ward. Daboll’s Giants run can be ignored, but when he’s in the coordinator seat, he’s shown he can deliver.
Ward, meanwhile, had a rough 2025. Among 37 passers with at least 250 plays, he ranked no higher than 30th in EPA per play, sack rate and success rate, and he finished last with 5.9 yards per attempt.
Former coach Brian Callahan was fired six games into the season, so Ward is already working through his second system in two years. That creates a math problem for Ayomanor, no matter how strong camp has looked.
Tate is projected as the top target, Robinson typically sees 140 targets a year, and Ridley took a pay cut to stay. That leaves Ayomanor sitting fourth or fifth on the depth chart, even with the camp momentum.
Tennessee’s backfield returns Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, with Pollard riding four straight 1,000-yard seasons and Spears trying to stay healthy after ankle trouble derailed his 2025. Rookie Nick Singleton adds a change-of-pace option from Penn State.
And then there’s the line. The Titans have been cycling through offensive line combinations for years, and only left guard Peter Skoronski has truly locked down his job.
JC Latham has bounced between tackle spots and drawn uneven reviews. That group has to hold up if the optimism around Ward and the receivers is going to mean anything, because a young quarterback can’t make the leap if he’s constantly under siege.
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