The Tennessee Titans shocked everybody during the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 pick. Almost nobody expected the receiver to go to the Titans at No. 4, and some even questioned if Tate would ever be a No. 1 receiver.
Well, it's way too early to tell, but the early returns have been promising. Tate has looked the part of a future elite receiver and he's already making a huge impression. Today, I want to talk about what we've seen out of Tate at OTAs and what I expect out of him during his rookie campaign.
Tate Looks Like a Future Star at OTAs
DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate (14) talks with defensive pass game coordinator/cornerbacks coach Tony Oden during the Titans Rookie Camp Day 2 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, May 2, 2026. | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Surely by now everybody has seen the incredible one-handed catch Tate made in practice a couple weeks ago. Cam Ward threw a perfectly placed ball along the sideline and Tate reached his hang out and snagged it, despite solid coverage by Micah Robinson.
Pretty crazy that a WR2 can make catches like this huh https://t.co/hs0Rkyxmfj
— Bryce (@TitansOnSI) May 29, 2026
It's not like that was the only play Tate made that day either. The youngster made four other nice catches during that practice and looked crisp with his routes.
Then, on Monday, when the team returned to the field, Ward found Tate for a deep bomb down the right side of the field. Once again, it was Robinson that Tate made the play on. Tate was also practicing his one-handed catches on Monday.
Carnell Tate, Xavier Restrepo, and Tyren Montgomery look to have their pre practice routine.
- Relaxed Tate one handed catches
- Restrepo ball skill experiments
- Montgomery’s hops on display pic.twitter.com/KWeF9gEa9y
— Austin Stanley (@AustinStanley81) June 8, 2026
With several more catches on Monday, Tate also demonstrated his elite burst off the line, solid route-running, and reliable hands. It's also clear that Ward and Tate already have some nice chemistry, and the quarterback is comfortable throwing it to Tate down the field.
We've seen Tate run routes, make circus catches, burn defenders, and dominate in drills. Pretty much everything you'd want to see from a top rookie receiver, we've seen from Tate so far.
Receiver Depth Chart Becoming Clear
DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Tennessee Titans first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft (and 4th overall) wide receiver Carnell Tate (14) speaks to the media after the Titans Rookie Camp Day 1 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2026. | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
I recently made a post about where I think the Titans' rookies are currently at on the depth chart. Of course, you'd expect the No. 4 pick to start, but I don't think people expected Tate to make it so obvious so quickly that he's going to be an immediate contributor.
So far this offseason, I've seen Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson make the most plays. Calvin Ridley and Elic Ayomanor have looked good as well, but Tate and Robinson have come down with the most catches and made the flashiest plays.
If anybody was of the opinion that Tate would need time or be brought along slowly, that doesn't seem to be the case. It's been made abundantly clear that Tate and Robinson are the best receivers on the team, with Ridley and Ayomanor behind them.
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