Tennessee Titans assistant general manager Dave Ziegler used the phrase "consensus vision" to describe the team's decision to select wide receiver Carnell Tate instead of linebacker Arvell Reese with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Going into the draft, barely anyone connected Tate with the Titans. Tate himself was surprised he ended up in Nashville, and with good reason. Months of pre-draft scuttlebutt connected the Titans with running back Jeremiyah Love, linebacker Sonny Styles and edge defenders Reese and David Bailey, leaving Tate as a distant fifth in the perceived pecking order.
Then, when Bailey went No. 2 to the New York Jets and Love went No. 3 to Arizona, the perfect Reese scenario seemed to fall in the Titans' lap.
Ziegler, speaking to reporters on April 28, credited that concept of consensus vision. Everyone in the Titans' draft room not only agreed on the type of prospect Tate was, but on the vision for how to use Tate on coach Robert Saleh's roster and in offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's scheme.
There was little ambiguity or disagreement about who the Titans saw Tate to be. It's harder to say the same about Reese ― who doesn't have a true position to call home yet ― or Styles, a true off-ball linebacker who nonetheless comes with concerns about positional value.
Carnell Tate, left and Keldric Faulk enter the room as the Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.From left, general manager Mike Borgonzi, wide receiver Carnell Tate, edge defender Keldric Faulk and coach Robert Saleh take questions as The Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.Coach Robert Saleh takes questions as the Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections wide receiver Carnell Tate and edge defender Keldric Faulk at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.Edge defender Keldric Faulk takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans second draft pick for 2026.Wide receiver Carnell Tate takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans first draft pick for 2026.Wide receiver Carnell Tate takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans first draft pick for 2026.From left, general manager Mike Borgonzi, wide receiver Carnell Tate, edge defender Keldric Faulk and coach Robert Saleh take questions as The Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.1 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkCarnell Tate, left and Keldric Faulk enter the room as the Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.1 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkCarnell Tate, left and Keldric Faulk enter the room as the Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.2 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkFrom left, general manager Mike Borgonzi, wide receiver Carnell Tate, edge defender Keldric Faulk and coach Robert Saleh take questions as The Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.3 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkCoach Robert Saleh takes questions as the Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections wide receiver Carnell Tate and edge defender Keldric Faulk at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.4 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkEdge defender Keldric Faulk takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans second draft pick for 2026.5 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkWide receiver Carnell Tate takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans first draft pick for 2026.6 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkWide receiver Carnell Tate takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans first draft pick for 2026.7 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkFrom left, general manager Mike Borgonzi, wide receiver Carnell Tate, edge defender Keldric Faulk and coach Robert Saleh take questions as The Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.In a pinch, the Titans opted for the player with the fewest question marks. Safety over projection.
"He’s a receiver that can win at all three levels of the defense," Ziegler said. "You see him stretch the field. I think the unique thing about Carnell, too, is that for a guy who’s 6-foot-2, he’s a guy that can separate in a short area. He can run the majority of the route tree. So what that means is you get a guy who can also be productive on third down. Then you have this catch radius and the size and big hands where you see him show up in the red zone."
Ziegler went on to say Tate projects as a "complete, three-down" receiver in the Titans' scheme, and that Tate's reliability on third downs and in the red zone separates him.
Tate joins veterans Calvin Ridley and Wan'Dale Robinson and second-year players Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor as the expected primary contributors in the receiving room. Other players competing for roster spots include returning Titans Bryce Oliver, Xavier Restrepo and Mason Kinsey as well as free agent add K.J. Osborn.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Real reason why Titans drafted WR Carnell Tate over LB Arvell Reese