The Kansas City Chiefs have to find a way to get Patrick Mahomes more comfortable entering 2025. Part of the reason the Chiefs could not complete a historic three-peat was due to the distractions and disarray around him.
Wide receiver has been a spot where Kansas City has lacked overall depth the last couple of years. In the end, Mahomes has had to shoulder a significant chunk of the workload all on his own.
Kansas City did re-sign Marquise "Hollywood" Brown this offseason. JuJu Smith-Schuster will also get another run within in the Chiefs' offense. Xavier Worthy had a solid finish to his rookie season. In due time, the hope is that Rashee Rice can return to his early form coming off of a significant injury. For the long-term, however, it would not hurt to add another young piece in the wide receiver room.
It may not hurt to add some increased size at the position, either. The Chiefs could find that in the 2025 NFL Draft via a few prospects. One that stands out in that regard is Stanford's Elic Ayomanor.
What positives stick out from Elic Ayomanor's game? Plus, what kind of fit could he possibly serve in the K.C. offense?
2025 NFL Draft Profile- Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
Age: 21
Height: 6-2
Weight: 206
Elic Ayomanor's strengths
It is evident that Ayomanor understands how to find the soft spots in coverage when watching him. Sitting down in a crease to help out his quarterback is something that Ayomanor has mastered. Moreover, the Stanford product will look to work to open zones on the strong side of the field, while also being able to find vicinities in defensive coverage.
Ayomanor displays a strong nature at the catch point. He is completely comfortable in contested catch situations. But more importantly, the ability to work back to the football is an item that Ayomanor shows consistently to help out his quarterback.
Being able to stretch and stack things vertically is where Ayomanor can create a good chunk of his damage. He is deceptive when breaking off his route stems when attacking downfield.
Additionally, Ayomanor has the potential to be a producer after the catch in a more diverse offense, something that he could unlock further in the intermediate area of the field. Finally, you can tell that blocking is an area that he takes great pride in.
Elic Ayomanor's weaknesses
Ayomanor will likely need to work on developing a more varied release package. At the line of scrimmage, veteran NFL defensive backs will key in on the limited moves and techniques that he utilizes to get off the ball. NFL defenders that also know how to press effectively could challenge him early on in his career.
The route running of Ayomanor is extremely basic. His long strides and wide steps can allow for defensive backs to catch up to him and recover. There was not a lot of twitch or burst in his change of direction opportunities during routes. Meanwhile, Ayomanor will likely have to fine-tune a different blend of tempo and timing as a route runner. His speed is seemingly the same on every rep.
Ayomanor will have to work on his ball skills and catch consistency. He certainly can make some difficult catches in traffic. Yet, Ayomanor dropped far too many easy opportunities during his time at Stanford. More routine body control and ball tracking can fix some of those issues as his football career continues.
How would Elic Ayomanor fit in Chiefs offense?
The Chiefs have been operating in a dink-and-dunk fashion for a couple of years now. Can Kansas City somehow get back to a more explosive state? A vertical attack is something that is sorely lacking for this team. At least a more consistent one. Elic Ayomanor could help in that area, due to his stacking ability and strength at the catch point.
Ayomanor is still going to look for a more developed skill set as an overall pass catcher. Though, the Chiefs have routinely looked for wide receivers that are smart and can handle multiple roles. Even as a tertiary pass catching threat, Ayomanor can fill a spot as a blocker.
He can also be a possible size mismatch on red zone or third down reps at the outset of his career. Kansas City could use someone like that as a third or fourth wide receiver option in the here and now.
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