Titans Surprise with Draft of Carnell Tate as Top Receiver

Nobody anticipated Carnell Tate being drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the first wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft held on April 23. The decision to choose Tate as the No. 4 overall pick caught many off guard.

At Ohio State, Tate was never the top receiver, leading to assumptions that he would join a team where he would start as the second option. Predictions suggested that Tate might land with the Washington Commanders at the No. 7 spot, expected to complement Terry McLaurin and assist quarterback Jayden Daniels in improving his performance. Analysts also speculated about potential placements with the New York Giants or Kansas City Chiefs. In New York, Tate would play second to Malik Nabers, aiding quarterback Jaxson Dart. Meanwhile, the Chiefs, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, would gain a valuable receiver without expecting Tate to carry the offense.

Contrary to expectations, the Titans made the bold choice to select Tate. With the recent drafting of quarterback Cam Ward at No. 1 in 2025, it became crucial for Tennessee to build an effective team around him. As discussions arose about Tate’s capability to lead as a primary receiver, Ward shared his optimistic outlook.

“He’ll have an explosive year just because he’ll get a lot of one-on-one matchups,” Ward commented to ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “I think this is one of the best offenses he could be in just because he’s going to get coached, but he’s not going to get overcoached, and he’s going to still be able to play football how he sees it.”

The Titans selected Robert Saleh, known for his defensive expertise, as their head coach in January and brought in Brian Daboll as the offensive coordinator. Although Daboll’s time with the Giants might not be remarkable, he played a key role in developing Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen. As the Bills’ offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021, Daboll contributed to Allen’s growth, facilitated by the acquisition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs in 2020. Diggs was instrumental in Allen’s enhancement, and the Titans hope Tate will provide similar progress for Ward.