The Tennessee Titans added a big weapon for Cam Ward.
The Titans selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
The top catch producer in the Class of 2025, Tate comes to the NFL as the latest product of Wide Receiver U, following an arc of progress that mirrored the likes of Ohio State freshman Emeka Egbuk and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. His first-round pick marks the fifth consecutive draft in which Ohio State has produced a receiver taken in the first 32 picks, joining Egbuka, Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, extending what was already a common draft-time record.
Tate, a Chicago native and Bradenton, Fla.-based IMG Academy commit, 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 when he stepped into a prominent role at Ohio State in 2025, culminating 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 College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The Tate production earned second-team all-state honors his junior season, a feat accomplished despite missing three games due to injury.
In a class that has legitimate talent at the top of the pack, Tate has been considered a tough race for the No. 1 spot. He’s not exactly a polished receiver with a productive career to back it up, but he has elite catching skills when defenders lose him (as evidenced by his spectacular touchdown catch caught between two Wisconsin defenders in 2025), leading the Big Ten with six receiving touchdowns on contested targets in his final season at Pro Football Columbus. Tate comes from a pedigree of consistent success with other top receivers who traded the 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 huge need for a playmaker to aid in Ward’s development. The rookie receiver’s ability to beat media coverage will give the new quarterback a playmaker who can beat off the line and rack up extra yards after the catch.
The Titans added Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency to a roster that already included Calvin Ridley and second-year wide receivers Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, but still lacked firepower. Tate adds to the lineup and offers a potential target.
The key to Robert Saleh’s first campaign at 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 weapon.