It took the Titans a while to add offensive weapons for rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
But once the Titans turned their attention to that side of the ball, they went full throttle.
Starting in the fourth round, the Titans added three consecutive pass-catching options over the course of 33 picks, choosing Florida wide receiver Chimere Dike with the 103rd selection, Texas tight end Gunnar Helm at No. 120 and Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor at No. 136.
Throw in the fact that the Titans signed veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett just before the draft, and the options for Ward look a lot more promising than they did just a week ago, when receivers Calvin Ridley and Van Jefferson, along with tight end Chig Okonkwo, were the only true proven, healthy pass catchers on the roster.
“Anytime you get some young receivers in here and working with the quarterback … they have to develop, and they have to develop a rapport in here,” Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi said. “So we’re trying to get young guys in here that can develop and grow [with Ward] as we build this roster.”
The fact that the Titans chose to bolster defense with their first two picks, trading back in the second round as well, meant that Dike was the 14th wide receiver off the board, Ayomanor the 19th, and Helm the seventh tight end.
Still, the three have attractive components to their respective games.
Dike’s most obvious asset is his speed, as the 6-1, 196-pound receiver ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in February. That was a big reason he averaged 18.6 yards on his 42 receptions for the Gators last season. His wheels should back defenses up just a bit, hopefully enough to give his Titans teammates more room to get open.
Dike also averaged 6.2 yards after the catch, per Pro Football Focus, evidence he’s hard to get down once the reception is made.
“He certainly has speed to stretch the field,” Borgonzi said of Dike, who lined up in the slot for 191 snaps and on the outside for 128 snaps last season.
“And he’s competitive downfield. He’s smart, versatile and he can line up a bunch of spots on offense. The one thing we liked about him is his competitiveness after the catch as well. So you got a guy that’s smart, tough, dependable … and he has a big catch radius, too.”
Expect the 24-year-old Dike to get a chance to be the Titans’ returner as well, after averaging 13.4 yards as a punt returner in 2024 and 22.6 yards as a kick returner in 2023.
“He was productive at Florida doing that,” Borgonzi said. “He’s one of those guys that just catches it and gets upfield. That’s what you like about him. He’s got speed as well.”
The 6-5, 241-pound Helm came out of relative obscurity, totaling 60 catches for 786 yards (13.1-yard average) and seven touchdowns in 2024 after posting a combined 19 receptions in his first three seasons at Texas.
One reason he didn’t produce a lot in his first three seasons was that he transitioned from wide receiver to tight end late in high school, so there was some newness to the position for Helm. In addition, Helm was playing behind Ja’Tavion Sanders, who totaled a combined 99 catches in 2022 and 2023.
“You’re looking for these guys that continue to get better,” Borgonzi said. “Dike and Helm, they got better every year, and [Helm] had a big season last year. Those are the traits that you look for, and that’s what you hope to continue here when they get to the league.”
Helm is no speedster, illustrated by his 4.84 time in the 40-yard dash. But he’s shown both an ability to get open deep and to produce yardage after his receptions.
He totaled 420 yards after the catch last season, which was third most among FBS tight ends, per The Athletic. In addition, he recorded 136 yards of his reception total on deep yards, which ranked fourth among tight ends.
“[He’s a] big, savvy route runner,” Borgonzi said. “Good in the red zone, also provides the quarterback with a big catch radius. He’s got good run after the catch as well.”
The 6-2, 206-pound Ayomanor was rated by many analysts as a better prospect than Dike, thanks in part to his frame, speed and reliability. He has long arms (32-3/8 inches and a 78-3/8 wingspan), ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and caught a combined 125 passes over the past two seasons — 62 for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns in 2023, and 63 for 831 and six touchdowns as a senior.
Though Ayomanor has had some drop issues — six mishandled passes in each of the past two seasons — he has a great resume stuffer in his 13-catch, 294-yard, three-touchdown performance against Colorado and Travis Hunter in 2023.
“Elic is a bigger receiver, productive in the red zone, big catch radius as well,” Borgonzi said.
The Titans are also looking forward to the arrival of the 32-year-old Lockett, a 10-year veteran who’s totaled 661 receptions for 8,594 yards (13.0-yard average) and 61 touchdowns.
The 5-10, 182-pound Lockett dipped to 49 catches for 600 yards last season, so it’s obvious he’s not the same receiver who topped 1,000 yards in four straight seasons from 2019-22.
But for a team desperate for experienced help at the position, Lockett should be a good fit. He’s also versatile, as Lockett lined up outside for 545 snaps last season and in the slot for 215 snaps.
“He’s a big addition for us,” Borgonzi said. “He’s a veteran wide receiver that [is] dependable, can get open.
“A lot of extended plays that Cam has — or any of these quarterbacks, when they work outside the pocket — Tyler’s one of those guys that can just find those open areas in those scramble drills.”