The Tennessee Titans shocked everybody in the NFL by selecting Carnell Tate with the No. 4 selection in the 2026 NFL draft. A lot of people figured the Titans would draft defense, with that being head coach Robert Saleh’s speciality.
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Tate was a key piece of Ohio State’s passing attack throughout the past two seasons. Even with Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith stealing the show in 2024, Tate racked up 52 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns. In 2025, Tate caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns, still losing targets to Smith. Still, it was strange that the Titans drafted him No. 4 overall
The Titans desperately needed an edge rusher entering the draft. The Titans had the no. 13 most sacks in the league, but that was mostly due to Jeffrey Simmons earning 11 sacks last season.
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They got a great partner alongside him in free agency, signing defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers from the Denver Broncos. However, they still needed to draft an edge rusher. There were plenty of talents available: Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey was the only edge rusher taken in the top 10. They could’ve taken Rueben Bain, Arvell Reese, or even Sonny Styles to help their linebacker room.
Tate has the tape of a No. 1 receiver. He’s very savvy in his route-running, with an ability to sell the vertical at any time. He also has great ball skills and good run-blocking abilities.
However, he’s always been a second receiving option behind someone. In 2024, he shared targets with 2025 first-round pick Emeka Egbuka and insanely talented freshman Jeremiah Smith. In 2025, it was with Smith again.
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When you have those kinds of talents in the receiving room, you’re going to get matched with the second-best corners in man coverage. Naturally, Tate might not have gotten matched up with the best corner on a team consistently.
How is he going to handle the pressure of being the No. 1 option in Tennessee? The Titans have Wan’Dale Robinson, Elic Ayomanor, and Calvin Ridley in their receiving room, and none of them should get as much heat as Tate.
If the Titans wanted to go receiver, there were also other recievers arguably more talented than Tate on the board. There were two receivers that some scouts viewed as better than Tate.
Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson would’ve been a great get. Despite concerns of injury, he was the No. 1 receiver for the Sun Devils. In 2024, he totaled 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns, and even in an injury-riddled 2025, he still caught 61 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns.
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USC’s Makai Lemon has also been viewed as a better option. Lemon seemed to ruffle a few feathers with his interview at the NFL Combine, but he might have better catch-ability than Tate. He caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, securing the Biletnikoff award for the best receiver in college football.
Tate’s selection will be heavily scrutinized for the coming years. At the very least, he provides a safe option for Cam Ward to throw the ball to, but with the Joneses drafted after him, it’s hard to not play the game of what if.