Carnell Tate, selected No. 4 in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, feels rejuvenated at rookie camp. He is embracing his new role with excitement and has already settled into his locker and playbook.
Carnell Tate 'feels like a kid again' at Titans rookie camp. Here's why
Carnell Tate, at the ripe old age of 21, feels like a kid again.
The Tennessee Titans used the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Tate on April 23, kicking off a whirlwind eight days before Tate had to report for Titans rookie minicamp on May 1. Tate jokes that it took two or three days for the idea of being picked No. 4 overall to even sink in, let alone for him to process the beginning of a life in the NFL.
But now that he's got a locker, a playbook and a uniform ― he'll wear No. 14 with the Titans — Tate's back in football mode.
"It feels like a kid again," Tate said. "It’s a new journey, a next step in your journey. New program. New jersey. New teammates. You better go out there and put it all together and prove yourself."
Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh speaks with the media before the Titans Rookie Camp Day 1 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2026.
Carnell Tate was selected as the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Carnell Tate feels rejuvenated and 'like a kid again' as he starts his journey with the Titans.
Carnell Tate will wear jersey number 14 for the Tennessee Titans.
Carnell Tate reported for Titans rookie minicamp on May 1.
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Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh speaks with the media before the Titans Rookie Camp Day 1 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2026.
Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh speaks with the media before the Titans Rookie Camp Day 1 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2026.
Players and coaches hit the field during the Titans Rookie Camp Day 1 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2026.
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Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh speaks with the media before the Titans Rookie Camp Day 1 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2026.
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Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh speaks with the media before the Titans Rookie Camp Day 1 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2026.
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Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh speaks with the media before the Titans Rookie Camp Day 1 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2026.
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Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh speaks with the media before the Titans Rookie Camp Day 1 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2026.
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Players and coaches hit the field during the Titans Rookie Camp Day 1 at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2026.
Tate didn't take the field for rookie minicamp on May 1 beyond stretching. The same was true for all eight of the Titans' draft picks.
Coach Robert Saleh calls the memory of watching former Jaguars first-round pick Dante Fowler Jr., tear his ACL in rookie camp his "scar," so now he's a firm believer in re-acclimating draft picks into football activities slowly. The way Saleh sees it, draft prep isn't football prep. So he'd rather his players stretch and adjust and build baselines of what their athletic profile looks like at this phase in the offseason rather than start out full speed months before training camp.
That means Tate wasn't on the field for seven-on-seven drills catching passes from quarterbacks Kaidon Salter, Cade McNamara and Derek Robertson, the three signal callers trying out for roster spots. Those top-line reps were reserved for undrafted signings at receiver, Hank Beatty and Tyren Montgomery, as well as existing practice squad players Xavier Restrepo and Hal Presley III. Restrepo, for whatever it's worth, had a particularly productive day in seven-on-seven drills, catching multiple touchdowns from Robertson.
This left Tate, and fellow draft picks like edge defender Keldric Faulk and linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., in the training room trying to catch up to where the veterans are in their football ramp-up process before the start of OTAs in mid-May. The tactical slowdown makes sense given what Tate's last few months have looked like. He described the draft process as a nonstop business trip, one where he'd wake up on the west coast one day and on the east coast the next, staying in shape via late-night workout sessions at hotel gyms.
Not the ideal conditions for a top-flight athlete.
So now Tate's working to get back in playing shape while also working to learn offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's schemes as quickly as possible so he and quarterback Cam Ward can find their rhythm as quickly as possible.
"I’ve been diving into it and trying to play catchup to where all the vets are at," Tate said of the playbook learning process. "It’s a little bit similar (to Ohio State's playbook). Every team uses the same formations. It’s a bunch of unlearning what you previously knew and then relearning it again."
Tate and Faulk both used that word ― unlearning ― to describe the task ahead. It's not about piling information onto rookies until they have too much to handle. It's about getting back to basics and instilling the culture, scheme and philosophies into players like Tate as a foundation.
Tate seems plenty open to that process.
"When I got back down here yesterday, that’s when it really sank in," Tate says. "I was like ‘I’m here now. Football’s finally here.’"
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans rookie camp is making Carnell Tate feel like a kid again. Here's why