Steelers Could Draft Another Canadian Wide Receiver With Big Play Capabilities

The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to be taking a wide receiver early in the 2025 NFL Draft, but which wideout they take and when is still up for debate. Pittsburgh holds the 21st pick in the first round of the draft, but they have other positions to worry about in addition to receiver. The receiving draft class includes many high-end athletes that could quickly bolster the Steelers' struggling offensive unit. Names like Emeka Egbuka and Matthew Golden have been thrown around with the Steelers most commonly as of late, but there's another intriguing name coming out of Stanford University. 

Elic Ayomanor, a Canadian-born receiver who has had two highly productive years for Stanford, is another pass catcher that the Steelers should keep their eye on. Brian Batko, a Steelers insider for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, tabbed Ayomanor as a guy that could be a great fit in a Steelers uniform. Batko additionally compared the receiver to both a current and former wideout on the Steelers' roster.

Ayomanor was red-shirted his freshman year, and then went on to catch 62 passes for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns in his first season. He even took a 97-yarder to the house in his first season in the Stanford offense. He showed promising consistency in his 2024 sophomore campaign, where he caught another 63 passes for six scores, but only 831 receiving yards.  

"Their last Canadian wideout didn't make it three years in Pittsburgh in Chase Claypool, but Ayomanor is his own player and a versatile one," Batko wrote in his article on Saturday. "He has enough play strength to be effective on the outside, where he played the majority of his snaps, or inside. And some of his one-handed and contested catches can even resemble George Pickens at his best."

After comparing the Stanford product similarly to George Pickens, Batko's player comparison for Ayomanor is another former Steelers receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster. Ayomanor is one of the many receivers that the Steelers have already had a meeting with at the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. 

Ayomanor runs a 4.40 forty-yard dash and is expected to be taken in the later parts of the second round. If the Steelers don't want to spend their 21st pick on a receiver, Ayomanor could be taken by Pittsburgh shortly after. 

Ayomanor has a number of quality strengths, including a strong work ethic, traits for rapid improvement, and physical tools and willingness to become a plus run blocker. Like every prospect, he also has some weaknesses, like inconsistent positioning and balance as a run blocker. Regardless of what he could improve upon, the Steelers need receivers that are strong-minded and won't cause any drama.The Steelers have had far too many receivers come into the building causing issues as of late.

Steelers Should Look To Add Proven Veteran In Addition To Drafting A Wide Receiver For 2025

The Steelers need to add quality depth to the receiving group behind Pickens, who could be in a different uniform by 2026. Finding a young rookie that could be the future of the franchise is important, but the receiving core also needs a guy that leads by example. Word has gotten out that the Steelers have interest in Deebo Samuel, who would be a good addition to have with Pickens and an early draft choice. Pittsburgh has other experienced options that they could attack in free agency as well. 

What do you think of Ayomanor and the chances he gets drafted by Pittsburgh? Does he have a bright future in the NFL? What other wide receivers could the Steelers target either through trade or free agency during the offseason? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

#SteelerNation