The Tennessee Titans passed on defensive help to select Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 overall pick, giving Cam Ward another reliable weapon as the offense continues to take shape.
The Tennessee Titans certainly took people by surprise with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Running back Jeremiyah Love had come off the board just one pick earlier to the Arizona Cardinals, and in doing so, it left Tennessee with an opportunity to take Ohio State EDGE rusher Arvell Reese — a dynamic defensive player who could’ve given the Titans a blue-chip talent at a premium position.
Instead, they took a swing on the other side of the ball.
The Titans selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick, coming off a season in which he totaled 51 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns for the Buckeyes, despite missing three games.
Tate measured in at just over 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds at the NFL Combine and ran a 4.53 40-yard dash. He’s not the fastest or the biggest receiver you’ll come across, but he’s a consistently sharp route runner with a high football IQ, along with tremendous character and work ethic.
Tate has good enough speed and very strong body control, even if he doesn’t quite fit that prototypical WR1 frame.
He now adds another weapon to Tennessee’s offense for Cam Ward entering his second season as the team’s quarterback. This time around, Ward will have plenty of pieces to work with, including free-agent addition Wan’Dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley — who was retained — and second-year players like Chimire Dike and Elic Ayomanor.
If the goal is to build around Cam Ward and make his life easier, adding a receiver as reliable as Carnell Tate is certainly one way to do it.
This is a luxury the Titans organization hasn't had since A.J. Brown was in Music City.
The Titans have also engaged in trade talks and could look to move back into the end of the first round to address other needs, with edge rusher and linebacker still standing out as areas to target in this draft class.
But considering Reese was still on the board — and the fact that many teams view Carnell Tate as the top wide receiver in this class — it speaks volumes about Tennessee’s evaluation. Choosing him at No. 4 rather than trading back or targeting a player like Sonny Styles makes a clear statement about how highly they value Tate.
Defense should be a clear area of focus as the draft class shapes up from here on out.