Bucs' Emeka Egbuka defends Titans' Carnell Tate

When the Tennessee Titans selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the fourth overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, it set off a mixed firestorm of opinions, both positive and negative, by analysts, insiders, and even players.

One of the most outspoken critics was New York Giants wideout Malik Nabers, who immediately spoke out, calling it a bad pick because, in his opinion, Tate had never even been a top wideout at any point in his college career. While this is true, mostly because of Ohio State’s phenom wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is widely regarded as a generational talent, the take discounts Tate’s skill set and growth during his career in Columbus.

It didn’t take too long before another NFL receiver came out in Tate’s defense, and it was one of his former teammates and another first-round receiver from Ohio State: Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Emeka Egbuka.

“I mean, yeah, we can see the correlation. At the end of the day, it’s all semantics. If you can play football, you can play football. Carnell Tate can play football. So, we’re gonna see what he can do come September.”

Egbuka makes a strong point, and one that should be embraced by the entire spectrum of media and insiders, waiting for the games to start before jumping to conclusions. Yes, the NFL offseason is fueled by hot takes and speculation, but sometimes it’s better to just play the long game before questioning someone’s talent or draft slot.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Bucs' Emeka Egbuka comes out in defense of Titans' Carnell Tate