Who Should I Start? Elic Ayomanor or Arian Smith

Monday, April 6, 5:48 AM

Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor drew a respectable 17% target share as a rookie in 2025, with his 86 total targets leading a Tennessee team that saw no pass catcher reach 60 receptions, 600 yards, or five touchdowns. While the group as a whole lacked obvious star power, especially after Calvin Ridley was lost for the season to a broken fibula, the inefficient quarterback play of rookie Cam Ward did them no favors. Ward ranked near the bottom of the league in most passing efficiency metrics, while Ayomanor was held back by one of the highest rates of uncatchable targets among all pass catchers. The silver lining for Ayomanor is that Ward showed marked improvement over the second half of the season, raising his completion percentage and throwing 10 of his 15 touchdowns over his final seven full games. The Titans also welcome new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, whose history of elevating quarterback play should have a direct impact on Ayomanor's ability to take a second-season leap.