The Tennessee Titans ended up with an impressive haul on Day Three of the 2025 NFL Draft. One of the most surprising and overlooked players from that group is former Wisconsin and Florida wide receiver Chimere Dike.
Dike was the first pass catcher the Titans drafted under new GM Mike Borgonzi, and his path to playing time should be immediately obvious for fans.
While Dike never displayed the full range of his capabilities in college, the speedy playmaker possesses high-end athleticism and an above-average frame for the position. The coaching staff and front office have praised his ability to play all three receiver positions, and it makes sense to expect him to carve out a role as a big-play threat until he can compete for a starting job.
Chimere Dike is a WR prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.72 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 109 out of 3815 WR from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/vPbulQXMPi pic.twitter.com/E6hP3lya9o
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 12, 2025
Until Dike becomes an every-down player on offense, he can contribute by fixing one of the biggest recurring needs the Titans have had for more than a decade.
Dike was one of the top punt returners available in the draft class, and he could arguably be the Titans' first good punt returner since Marc Mariani 15 years ago.
Draft analyst Dane Brugler summed up Dike's path to an NFL job in his draft guide (The Beast), saying, "Overall, Dike has somewhat of a confused identity as a receiver. He is more than just a field-stretcher, but he also must develop better nuance in his routes and at the catch point to become more reliable as a separator or possession target. There is something here, and his special teams impact (as a returner or gunner) should lengthen the leash as NFL coaching attempts to maximize his talent."
Think about him as the Detroit Lions' version of Kalif Raymond. Since leaving the Titans in 2021, Raymond has had more than 2,000 yards on offense while earning second-team All-Pro honors as a punt returner, twice.
That should be Dike's goal as a rookie. If he develops into a successful returner, he will be one of the most impactful Day Three picks in this entire class. The Titans hired one of the NFL's best special teams coach this offseason in John Fassel to develop players like Dike.
The Titans are pairing Dike's return ability with one of the best special teams coordinators in the NFL. Dike could enter the role with high-end athleticism and quality collegiate production and experience. That is a very good plan, and this could prove to be the under-the-radar pick from this class to make a big impact as a rookie.