Could Ayomanor help fill out the Giants’ offense?
For all the talk surrounding their perceived needs on defense, the offense is the bigger priority for the New York Giants.
After all, they’ve fielded one of the worst offenses in the NFL for years now, and many things would likely fall into place quickly for the team if they could be consistently productive. The Giants’ receiving corps wasn’t bad by any means in 2024, but Darius Slayton — a mainstay in the passing game — is entering free agency and may not return to the Giants.
His loss would create a void that will need to be filled, and the team might not have anyone on the roster to do so.
Stanford receiver Elic Ayomanor offers a similar skill set as Slayton with a good blend of size and athleticism, as well as the versatility to fill multiple roles in the offense. Could he be a value pick for the Giants?
Prospect: Elic Ayomanor (13)
Games Watched: vs. Colorado (2023), vs. TCU (2024), vs. Syracuse (2024)
Red Flags: Knee — ACL/MCL/Meniscus (2022)
Measurables
Height: 6-foot-2 (estimated)
Weight: 212 pounds
Strengths
Best traits
- Competitive toughness
- Quickness
- Route running
- Body control
- Blocking
Ayomanor is a good-sized and athletic wide receiver who could fill a variety of roles at the next level.
Ayomanor has the size and athletic traits to be an outside receiver in the NFL, with the size and athleticism to play X and route running to be a Z. He’s a very smooth athlete who understands how to bend and shape his route stems to manipulate defenders and create opportunities for separation. He’s also agile enough to play as a “big slot” and match up against smaller slot corners, or contribute as a blocker on runs or screen plays.
Ayomanor has good agility and quickness into his breaks – as long as they aren’t too sharp – as well as the strength to play through contact. He’s efficient getting into his routes and understands his assignment as a part of a route concept. Ayomanor also does a good job of breaking his route off to make himself available for his quarterback.
His athleticism and play strength also lend themselves to generating yards after the catch. Ayomanor isn’t a speedster or particularly shifty as a runner, but he has good enough vision to find lanes in space and is strong enough to break arm tackles to pick up additional yardage.
He’s also a willing blocker. He gets after defensive backs when blocking on the play side of running plays, though he needs to improve his hand placement to avoid holding penalties in the NFL. Likewise, he’s very quick to transition from receiver to blocker once a teammate has made a catch.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Health
- Catch consistency
Ayomanor’s health will be the single biggest question regarding his evaluation. He suffered a bad knee injury as a freshman, tearing his ACL, MCL, and meniscus. He returned in 2023 with a 1,000-yard season and has played in 24 games with over 60 catches in both 2023 and 2024. However, teams will need to find out the current status of his knee as well as his long-term prognosis. Any elevated risk of arthritis or re-injury could sink his draft stock.
On the field, the biggest concern in Ayomanor’s game is his catch consistency. He flashes brilliant hands, making high-difficulty catches in traffic, but he can also suffer from concentration drops. There are too many routine catches that seem to just slip through – or bounce off – his hands.
Teams will need to figure out why that is, and if he can find consistency with more work and coaching at the NFL level.
Game Tape
(Ayomanor is the Stanford wide receiver wearing No. 13)
Projection
Eli Ayomanor projects as a borderline starting receiver at the NFL level. Whether or not he is able to become an every-down player will likely come down to whether he can become a more consistent catcher of the ball and his long-term health.
His physicality, competitive toughness, and ability to be a playmaker will earn him fans and looks on offense – not to mention a consistent role on special teams. Ayomanor has the potential to be a good receiver at the NFL level with the ability to line up at all three receiver positions, stretch the field, or pick up yards after the catch. However, his future team needs to know that they can depend on him to secure the ball first.
There’s also the looming question regarding the health of his knee. Teams will do their due diligence on his medical reports. That, more than anything, could determine his draft stock.
Does he fit the Giants?
Yes, if his medical concerns check out
Final Word: A Day 2 value, but a likely Day 3 pick due to injury concerns.
