The Tennessee Titans entered the 2025 offseason facing a glaring need at wide receiver. Outside of veteran Calvin Ridley—who turns 31 this season and was signed by the previous front office—the team lacked proven options at the position. But new general manager Mike Borgonzi, exercising patience throughout free agency and the early rounds of the draft, may have quietly assembled a promising trio of young receivers capable of forming the foundation of the passing attack moving forward.
While the Titans passed on wide receivers in the second and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, they made their move on Day 3, selecting Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor in the fourth round. Borgonzi and head coach Brian Callahan followed that up by signing Miami standout Xavier Restrepo as an undrafted free agent. All three players bring complementary skill sets and align intriguingly with Callahan’s offensive structure.
To be clear, history cautions against overhyping mid-to-late-round receivers and UDFAs. The odds of landing one long-term starter from that group are slim, let alone three. Still, the Titans may have executed some sharp roster planning—or simply caught a lucky break—with this group.
Ayomanor is a prototypical “X” receiver, boasting the size and physicality reminiscent of Tee Higgins, who thrived in Callahan’s system in Cincinnati. He’ll likely compete for boundary snaps and could be groomed as a long-term WR1. Dike, by contrast, brings positional versatility. At rookie minicamp, Callahan noted that Dike will start out learning both the Z and slot positions. That flexibility could position him as a successor to Ridley in the flanker role.
Restrepo, Cam Ward’s top target at Miami, is a pure slot receiver who wins with toughness, leverage, and crisp route-running—traits Callahan has historically valued at that position.
What makes this trio especially intriguing is their projected fit in the Titans’ 11-personnel-heavy scheme: Ayomanor at X, Dike at Z, and Restrepo in the slot. The alignment seems almost too perfect, giving Callahan a developmental core that theoretically mirrors the structure of past successful receiver groups he’s coached.
The Titans also signed Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett in free agency, providing veteran stability for 2025. But both are short-term pieces unlikely to remain in the team’s long-term plans. With Ridley nearing the back end of his prime and depth still a question mark, Tennessee could once again be looking for receiver help in 2026.
Unless, of course, Ayomanor, Dike, and Restrepo exceed expectations. If even two of the three pan out, the Titans could secure long-term answers at all three receiver spots—something the franchise has struggled to achieve for over a decade.
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