The 2026 NFL Draft is finally here! 

The Tennessee Titans had the No. 4 overall pick, and after losing the Jeremiyah Love sweepstakes to the Arizona Cardinals, picked Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate. 

The Titans kept everyone on their toes, with Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese or Sonny Styles as the players I thought Tennessee would've taken after not being able to draft Love. 

Reese would've given the Titans a player who could've been converted to an edge rusher. Tennessee had an inconsistent pass rush, ranking 14th with 42 sacks last season. 

Jeffrey Simmons was really the only consistent member of the Titans' press rush. Outside of him, there wasn't really anyone else. Jihad Ward had five sacks, followed by  Dre'Mont Jones (4.5) and Jaylen Harrell (4.5). 

Styles would've been a fit for the kind of middle linebacker that Robert Saleh wanted for his defense. Styles is a similar build to San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner. His speed and athleticism is off the charts for a linebacker, and that has to do with his background as a safety at Ohio State. 

Receiver was a position of need that the Titans had in the draft. Mason Kinsey, Hal Presley III, Xavier Restrepo, Chimere Dike and Bryce Oliver are the reserves so far. 

I'm sure there were audible cries throughout the Volunteer State when the Cardinals picked Love, but I actually like this pick. 

The Titans needed more depth at receiver and went with the best one in the draft. This goes back to the best player available speech that General Manager Mike Borgonzi gave at the NFL Owners Meetings. 

Here's what we know about Tate. 

He was the No. 2 receiver behind Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State. Tate had 875 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in his final year with the Buckeyes. 

Smith was the main target in that Ohio State receiving room, which gave Tate the opportunity to break free for big plays. He had four 100-yard games at Ohio State in 2025. 

One thing that Tate brings to the table is his experience at multiple receiver positions. He mostly spent his college career on the outside, but was able to get experience at slot receiver as a true freshman. 

Emeka Egbuka suffered an injury in 2023 that gave Tate the opportunity to get more playing time. He filled in at slot receiver, allowing him to become an elite route runner. 

This makes things interesting with the Titans' receiver room. 

The projected starters before the draft were Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor and Wan'Dale Robinson. Does Tate start over Ridley or Ayomanor?

I would think that it's more likely that Tate competes with Ayomanor for his spot in the receiver room. We may have an offseason battle at receiver on our hands between Tate and Ayomanor. 

Could the Titans have gotten Reese or Styles? Yes. 

However, it's clear that Borgonzi considered Tate to be the best player in the draft, and I'd have to agree behind Love. Love would've been a home-run draft pick, but I think Tate is a good alternative. 

Even after free agency, the Titans are still committed to giving Cam Ward weapons. Tate was the top receiver in the draft, and Tennessee didn't want to pass on that kind of talent. 

Welcome to the Music City, Carnell Tate!