One of the more common Day 2 projections for the Lions, Stanford wideout Elic Ayomanor is an interesting player and a fun study. He was recruited to Stanford by then-head coach David Shaw, who is now the Lions' new passing game coordinator.
Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
Ayomanor has had quite a path to the NFL draft. A Canadian native, Ayomanor didn't play American football until he was a junior in high school after heading to Massachusetts. He was a track star (100m and 200m) ahead of football but opted to pursue the pigskin at Stanford.
- 6-foot-2, 206 pounds at combine with 10" hands
- Won Jon Cornish Award as best Canadian in NCAA football in 2023
- Had 63 catches for 831 yards and 6 TDs in 2024, all topping his Stanford team
- Set school record vs Colorado (inc. Travis Hunter) in 2023 with 13 catches for 294 yards in a game
- Turns 22 in June
Games watched: TCU, Clemson, SMU, Louisville,
Positives
- He's big and embraces playing with size as his primary asset
- Impressive blocker who prides himself in winning in the run game
- Can stop and pivot back to the QB on a dime
- Plays bigger than his listed size and looks bigger in person, too
- Can go get the ball and secure it quickly in contested-catch situations and in the red zone
- Can stack the outside CB with his speed and ability to change stride lengths
- High-end long speed on deep routes
- Showed growth in his releases versus man coverage
Negatives
- Stiff after the catch
- Allows too many catches to go through his hands; 12 drops in two seasons
- His athletic testing and track background do not translate to the field effectively
- Can get leggy and upright when breaking inside and out of the slot
- Suffered torn ACL, MCL and meniscus as a senior in HS and then redshirted as a freshman after a subsequent knee injury; missed Senior Bowl with an unspecified injury after also missing practice time with an abdominal injury in 2024
- Has played just four seasons (not counting the injury years) of American football
Overall
Ayomanor has a lot for the Detroit Lions to like in an outside receiver with size who can also man the heavy slot role. The affable, big Canadian has strong connections to PGC David Shaw, and Ayomanor's track background and love of blocking definitely fit the Lions' profile. He's still underdeveloped as a route runner and often battles with his hands to complete the catch, though the Stanford offense did him little favors there on either front. Higher-upside player, albeit one with a fairly significant injury flag.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions draft prospect profile: Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
