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Tennessee Titans select Carnell Tate in first round of 2026 NFL Draft

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax04/24/26BarkleyTruax

The Tennessee Titans have selected former Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Tate declared for the draft as a junior as was regarded as one of the top wideouts coming in.

Now, he’s heading to the league after being drafted. This comes after a stellar career at Ohio State that included a national championship win in 2024.

On the field, Tate finished his final college season having caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. In his career, he caught 121 passes for 1,872 yards and 14 touchdowns. His 17.2 yards per catch in 2025 earned him the reputation as an explosive playmaker downfield, and many expect that to continue after the NFL Draft. 

Before college, Tate was a four-star recruit according to the Rivals Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 8 wide receiver in the 2023 class and the No. 41 player overall.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Carnell Tate

Now that Carnell Tate has been drafted, his new fanbase may want to know what to expect out of their newest wide receiver. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided in-depth analysis on the former Buckeyes standout.

“Ascending “Z” receiver who continues to step out from the shadow of Ohio State teammate Jeremiah Smith. Tate has good size but would benefit from more play strength. He builds momentum quickly on intermediate and deep routes, utilizing speed and tempo to pressure cornerbacks. He can win over the top on verticals or separate over the first two levels with route savvy and separation burst. Tate tracks throws at top speed and makes his adjustments to run under them. He combines timing, body control and catch radius to dominate air space and consistently lands on the winning side of contested catches.

“Pass catching comes effortlessly with soft, strong hands and he consistently works back on throws to keep ballhawks from hawking. Tate displays rare polish for a player his age and has the talent to become a heralded pro within his first three seasons.”