Surprise Titans wide receiver battle build-up could push Cam Ward away from spotlight in Tennessee

Pankti Parmar

Surprise Titans wide receiver battle build-up could push Cam Ward away from spotlight in Tennessee image

Currently, Cam Ward is all the rage in Nashville, but all the questions rumbling in the wide receiver room could steal that center stage away from him.

It would be for the good of the franchise, though.

The Titans have found the next face of their franchise in Ward, but they still have some pressing questions, like which rookie will step up as their wide receiver, unanswered.

Finding the answers to those in the Titans' rookie minicamp would bolster the surrounding corps for Ward, even if that comes at a cost of him losing the limelight temporarily. 

It would be a battle between Elic Ayomanor, Xavier Restrepo, and Chimere Dike. 

Ayomanor and Dike have a stronger case to become the WR1 since they were drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, while Restrepo was signed as a free agent. 

"Titans coach Brian Callahan said he expects Ayomanor, the fourth-round pick out of Stanford, to begin his career at the "X" position, which is the wide receiver spot most associated with being the end man on the line of scrimmage," USA Todays Nick Suss explained. 

"Dike, his fellow fourth-round pick, is someone Callahan says will be able to rove between all three receiver spots and the team is going to have to figure out where he fits best. And Callahan hasn't spoken about Restrepo yet since the team hasn't made his undrafted free agent contract official yet, but 90% of Restrepo's snaps last year at Miami came from the slot.

"Dike, for what it's worth, split his time between the outside and inside receiver positions at a roughly equal rate in college. Ayomanor, also fitting Callahan's assessment, spent significantly more time on the outside."

Callahan's choice of who plays on the inside would be crucial in Ward's success as a QB, and the franchise's success at large.

Ayomanor was Ward's ultimate workhorse target in the draft, so that's his advantage. 

How Ayomanor and Dike are positioned will have a lot riding on it.

Pankti Parmar

Pankti Parmar is a freelance writer working across The Sporting News' English-language editions.