NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Titans quarterback Mitchell Trubisky dropped back and saw Elic Ayomanor streaking down the field just past cornerback Micah Robinson on the first padded practice of training camp last week.
Trubisky, whom the Titans signed in the offseason to compete for the backup job behind Cam Ward, launched the pass over 40 yards down the field, and Ayomanor ran underneath it and made the catch in the end zone. He threw the football in the air while letting out a roar.
That play perfectly encapsulates Ayomanor’s approach to his second year. He and Chimere Dike each had four receiving touchdowns as rookies, tied for the team lead. But the Titans brought in reinforcements at the receiver position this offseason -- signing Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency to a four-year, $78 million contract and selecting Carnell Tate fourth overall in April’s draft.
Ayomanor didn’t get bitter. Instead, he chose to get better after posting 41 catches for 515 yards in his first season. Ayomanor’s goal during the offseason was to improve his body language and play with a more aggressive mindset.
“Body language even subconsciously has a lot to do with how you attack each rep,” Ayomanor told ESPN. “Starting there has a huge impact on the way you attack each rep, how downhill you are, how aggressive you are in your routes, how aggressive you are in your catching. It all starts with the mindset and the body language. They have a relationship that is very tightly woven together. They’re like one and the same almost.”
Ayomanor trained with a receiver training coach in Drew Lieberman in Atlanta. Fellow Titan receivers K.J. Osborn and Robinson worked out with Ayomanor as well. Ayomanor said their work days consisted of a little over two hours of route running.
“The aggressiveness, that’s just the way that he approaches playing receiver and the way he makes us approach it,” Ayomanor said of Lieberman. “It’s a byproduct of just the day in and day out of the sessions and how they go and where you’re forced to go and who you’re forced to become in order to make it through those training sessions.”
The training sessions and extra work has resulted in Ayomanor making strides in body composition. He still weighs around 206 pounds, but his body fat is now at 6.5%, down from 11% at the end of last season. The improved physique and aggressive approach have helped Ayomanor stand out in what has become a crowded receiver room with the additions of Robinson and Tate along with the return of veteran Calvin Ridley. Veterans Bryce Oliver and Osborn are in the mix as well.
But it’s Ayomanor who has stood out the most so far in training camp. The way he attacks the football has allowed him to make a series of contested catches during training camp. It almost cost Ayomanor last week when he went up for a pass and collided with safety Kevin Winston Jr. in the end zone.
Ayomanor was down for a moment, then favored his left shoulder as he went inside with a trainer. He returned for the scrimmage Friday and was a full participant in Sunday’s practice.
“I love his body language,” Trubisky told ESPN. “I think he’s super motivated and is going super hard. He brings that juice and energy for our offense. He’s just a mismatch problem for a lot of DBs. His speed and strength, his ability to separate at the top and then his downfield ability to get open, he’s really impressed me so far.
“I’m looking for [Ayomanor], and he’s getting open. He’s making a lot of plays with his offense.”
Ayomanor has managed to turn heads on almost every practice so far in camp, whether it be a back shoulder catch where he goes up and snatches the ball out of the air over a cornerback or making a tough catch in the middle of the field on a dig route.
“To me, Elic is a star,” Ridley said. “The kid’s a stud. He’s going to continue to get better.”
Ayomanor, standing at 6-foot-2, already checked the box as far as what a receiver is supposed to look like. This year’s version of him is even more impressive. There’s a higher degree of explosiveness to his routes.
Ayomanor noted how he wants to run routes with “more forward lean” when asked about offseason improvements during minicamp. That forward lean is something Ayomanor worked to instill into his game while training with Robinson over the summer. He pointed to how Robinson has “good posture often” when he’s on the football field.
“There’s really not a phase of the game where you shouldn’t be at a forward lean,” Ayomanor said during minicamp. “Maybe if you’re running like a 40-yard route or you’re down the field trying to track the ball, but it’s really about having your nose forward, your body forward, staying low in and out of routes especially.”
New Titans coach Robert Saleh praised Ayomanor for working relentlessly during the offseason to set himself up for a successful season. Saleh believes the hard work and preparation is why Ayomanor’s confidence is standing out on the football field.
“When you prepare at his level, both mentally and physically, you feel confident and your body language is going to project that,” Saleh said. “He’s got great confidence just because he knows he’s prepared as well as he can, and he knows he’s putting himself in the best position he can be.”
Although Ayomanor has gotten off to a good start in camp, the bigger-picture obstacle is for him to be more consistent. Ayomanor flashed at times last season but only caught 13 of the 31 targets that went his way over the final six games. Saleh challenged Ayomanor when asked where he can show growth this season.
“Everyone can do it once,” Saleh said. “The great ones can do it multiple times over time.”
It’s safe to say Ayomanor accepts the challenge. He recognizes consistency as an area for improvement and focuses on finding a way to make a difference every time he sets foot on the field.
Having played at Stanford, Ayomanor is looking forward to returning to the Bay Area when the Titans have a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers, where Saleh came over from in the offseason after formerly being their defensive coordinator, followed by the preseason opener at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday.
“I’m excited to go back there and put in some work,” Ayomanor said. “Obviously, coach Saleh came from San Francisco, so we need to go send a message.”
