The Tennessee Titans added a big-time weapon for Cam Ward.
The Titans selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
The best contested catch-maker in the 2025 class, Tate arrives to the NFL as the latest product of Wide Receiver U, following a career progression arc that mirrored the likes of fellow Ohio State first-rounders Emeka Egbukaand Jaxon Smith-Njigba. His first-round selection marks the fifth straight draft in which Ohio State produced a receiver taken in the first 32 picks, joining Egbuka, Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, and extending what was already a common draft era record.
A Chicago native and product of Bradenton, Florida's IMG Academy, Tate has been on the football world's collective radar since his days as a four-star high school recruit. He lived up to those expectations once he rose to a prominent role at Ohio State in 2025, peaking in his third and final season with a 51-catch, 875-yard, nine-touchdown campaign as part of a Buckeyes squad that reached the Big Ten title game and the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff. Tate's production garnered second-team All-American honors in his junior season, an achievement earned despite missing three games due to injury.
In a class that features legitimate talent at the top of the group, Tate has been considered in a tight race for the No. 1 spot. He's not an entirely polished receiver with a prolific career to back him, but owns elite catching abilities when draped by defenders (as evidenced by his phenomenal touchdown grab snagged between two defenders at Wisconsin in 2025), leading the Big Ten with six receiving touchdowns on contested targets in his final season in Columbus, per Pro Football Focus. Tate comes from a pedigree that has produced consistent success with other first-rounder receivers who traded scarlet and gray for NFL uniforms and will aim to follow in their footsteps.
By taking Tate as the first receiver off the board, the Titans filled a big need for a playmaker to aid Ward's development. The rookie receiver's ability to beat press coverage will give his new quarterback a playmaker who can win off the line and gobble up extra yards after the catch.
The Titans added Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency to a group that already included Calvin Ridley and second-year wideouts Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, but still needed firepower. Tate boosts the crew and provides a potential go-to target.
The key to Robert Saleh's first campaign in Tennessee will be Ward's development in Year 2. With their first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Titans made it easier by adding a big-time weapon.
