Tennessee Titans select Carnell Tate: 7 things to know about the WR

The Tennessee Titans selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, the Titans were never really connected to Tate, but the team did have him in for a top-30 visit earlier in the pre-draft process. Tennessee had a goal of building around Cam Ward, and Tate’s selection will definitely help them meet that goal.

Most of the commentary about Tate leading up to the draft was focused on his measurables: Statistics, combine results, body measurements, etc. But there is always more to a player than those measurables, so let's take a peek at seven things you should know about the Titans' newest wide receiver.

COVID-19 setback

Coming off a solid freshman year in high school at Marist High in Chicago, where he pulled in 28 passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns, Tate saw his sophomore season wiped out by the pandemic. After missing that season, he transferred to IMG Academy and developed into a 5-Star recruit.

Highly coveted

He received 37 scholarships in his time at IMG, including offers from Ohio State, Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, and Arizona. On June 20th, 2022, Tate officially announced his commitment to Ohio State, which has become a hotbed for developing NFL-caliber receivers.

5-Star recruit

Tate was a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 22 prospect nationally at the end of the recruiting cycle and eventually landed at Ohio State.

Welcome to the big time

When Tate arrived at Ohio State, he entered a room with multiple first-round selections, including Marvin Harrison Jr., , and future first-rounder Jeremiah Smith.