According to the collective final NFL mock drafts that surfaced last week, the Tennessee Titans made a wise move trading up to the No. 136th selection late in the fourth round.
It's where the Titans selected Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor who was projected by most major networks to be long gone by the time he was selected late in the fourth round on Saturday. To cite examples from final mock drafts ahead of Day One, Pro Football Focus had the 6'2", 210-pound pass-catcher slated to the 49ers with the 11th overall pick while Fox Sports mocked him to the Eagles later in the first-round (28 overall).
Born and raised in Alberta, Canada, Ayomanor transferred to a prestigious New England boarding school — Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts — ahead of his junior year. While schools like Kentucky and Tennessee extended offers, he considered options that lined up with the education level he was coming from, picking Stanford out of a group that included Cal, Duke, Notre Dame, and Vanderbilt.
After redshirting in 2022, Ayomanor made a big statement in Year Two as he recorded over 1,000 receiving yards. Early in the next season when Stanford took on Colorado in primetime, he made sure the football world knew that he wasn't just an above average player among a receiver roster without as many playmakers as the Cardinal typically feature.
Often facing Heisman winner Travis Hunter that night, Ayomanor led a thrilling comeback win after trailing 29-0 at halftime. He beat the Heisman winner for a 60-yard touchdown in the third quarter along with multiple receptions thereafter, including the game-winning score in the fourth quarter en route to a 39-36 victory.
Ayomanor's 294 receiving yards and two touchdowns made national headlines as his draft stock began to rise.
The Canadian pass-catcher brings the kind of size and physicality that fits right into what Tennessee is trying to build. He’s not just a big target — he’s a technician. Ayomanor runs clean routes, attacks the ball in the air, and has a knack for making tough, contested catches.
This isn't a raw athlete trying to figure it out. He’s smart, tough, and simply proves to work himself open consistently. He’s comfortable working the middle of the field, he’s physical after the catch, and he’s not afraid to take a shot to move the chains. His body control and hands are real assets, especially in tight windows.
The Titans needed a range of additions through the draft that can make an impact right away, including at quarterback and receiver.
Alongside top quarterback Cam Ward and fellow fourth-round pick Chimere Dike, a receiver from the Florida Gators, Ayomanor is a key ingredient in Tennessee's attempt to inject rookie playmakers into those vital roles.
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