As Tennessee’s top draft pick steps into a primary receiving role, don't count Carnell Tate out of the running for an NFL honor.
There are high expectations for Tennessee Titans rookie Carnell Tate.
It makes sense, considering that he was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He is poised to be the Titans' top wide receiver as a rookie.
Calvin Ridley tried to be last year, but he proved he can no longer handle that responsibility after inconsistent play leading up to his season-ending injury. Ridley had issues with drops last season and was a real disappointment after his 1,000-yard campaign in 2024.
There were rumors that Ridley would be released this offseason, but he is back on a restructured contract that expires in 2028.
Then you have Wan'Dale Robinson, a solid veteran receiver who has spent most of his career in the slot and will be there for the Titans in 2026.
ESPN's Mike Clay has predicted that Tate will have a lot of success this season. Clay forecasted a 1,000-yard season for Tate.
However, it wouldn't be out of the question if Tate could take home an NFL honor in his first season. Tate is one of the betting favorites to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, at +550 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Tate is No. 3, behind Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (+425) and Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love (+400).
It has been a long time since a Titans' rookie won OROY. The last Titans player to do it was Vince Young in 2006. He had 2,199 passing yards, 552 rushing yards, 19 total touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
It may seem like a long shot for a skill-position player, such as a receiver, to win the honor. Even after Young won it in 2006, there were just two skill-position players who did from 2007-2012.
After Young, there was Adrian Peterson (2007), Matt Ryan (2008), Percy Harvin (2009), Sam Bradford (2010), Cam Newton (2011) and Robert Griffin III (2012).
Now, if we look at the rest of the winners in the 2010s and 2020s, you start to see a shift. Since Griffin won it in 2012, five QBs have done so.
In order, there was Dak Prescott (2016), Kyler Murray (2019), Justin Herbert (2020), C.J. Stroud (2023) and Jayden Daniels (2024).
Certain NFL awards favor the quarterback position, such as the MVP. The last time that a quarterback didn't win the MVP was in 2012, when Peterson had a monster season for the Minnesota Vikings.
Since 2013, most OROY winners have been running backs or receivers. Last year, Carolina Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan took home the honor, so it's definitely not out of the question that Tate can do the same.
Tate has an elite skill set from his time at Ohio State. He has a great route tree and is a legitimate deep threat on the outside. He even got valuable experience as a slot receiver when Emeka Egbuka went down with an injury during Tate's true freshman season.
Is it going to be hard for Tate to win OROY? Yes. Is it impossible for a receiver to win OROY? Absolutely not.
The odds may be slightly stacked against him, but recent history shows us that it wouldn't be out of the ordinary.
