Tate arrives with elite route-running ability and deep-threat speed, ready to challenge top cornerbacks as the Titans' premier receiver.
The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft came and went on Thursday night.
The Tennessee Titans had the No. 4 pick and barely missed out on the chance to take Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. He was taken one pick earlier by the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3.
General Manager Mike Borgonzi shared that the team's draft strategy was to take the best player available, pointing towards Love at No. 4.
The Titans stayed true to that strategy and took Tate instead.
With Tate, the Titans are getting a receiver with an excellent route tree who can also be a deep threat. I graded the move in one of my draft night articles.
Tate wasn't the best receiver at Ohio State, but that isn't stopping him from setting high goals with the Titans.
Tate was the No. 2 WR at Ohio State behind Jeremiah Smith. He finished with 875 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
According to ESPN's Turron Davenport, Tate said that he was ready for defenses to prepare for him as the Titans' main wideout.
"Carnell Tate said he's looking forward to going against top CBs and having defenses game plan around him as the No.1 WR for the Titans," Davenport said.
That is definitely a lofty goal for the rookie receiver, but it would make using the No. 4 pick on him make sense.
Tate enters a Titans receiver room with Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor and Wan'Dale Robinson as the projected starters. Tennessee still needed help at receiver before the draft, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that Tate could work his way into consistent minutes with the team.
Luckily for the Ohio State product, he has experience playing multiple receiving positions. Tate joined Ohio State in 2023 and didn't get much playing time right away.
Understandably so, as the Buckeyes had Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming ahead of Tate. However, Egbuka suffered an injury that season that forced him to miss a few games, putting Tate in a position to fill in at slot receiver.
He got some valuable experience, then eventually played on the outside for most of his college career. There's no doubt that experience helped him perfect his route tree at the college level.
Tate adds to the legacy of Ohio State receivers going to the NFL. Harrison, Terry McLaurin and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are some of the Columbus products at wideout.
Can Tate continue that NFL pedigree with the Titans?