The Tennessee Titans had been associated with linebackers, pass rushers and even Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. With a defensive-minded incoming head coach, the reasoning for interest in Ohio State's Arvell Reese or Sonny Styles seemed well-founded.
There had been some speculation that Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate would be taken earlier than anticipated but there had only been loose speculation with Tennessee. A month earlier, the team had signed free agent wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson and returned veteran Calvin Ridley.
When commissioner Roger Goodell took to the stage in Pittsburgh, he announced the name of Tate, who alongside phenom Jeremiah Smith, recorded 51 receptions for 875 yards and 9 touchdowns in his final season with the Buckeyes.
The Titans would trade back up into the first round for Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk. Faulk had been a popular inclusion in top-10 overall preseason prospect rankings, but never realized his full potential. By the time the Auburn product heard his name called, there were four other pass rushers off the board. Shortly after Faulk was picked, so too were Clemson's T.J. Parker at 35th, Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas at 40th, and Texas A&M's Cashius Howell at 41st overall.
Was Carnell Tate the right choice at No. 4 overall?
Ownership had previously been adamant about a plan to support former quarterback Will Levis to evaluate whether he was the future of the franchise at quarterback. It is reasonable to suspect a similar edict may have been given to new leadership regarding Cam Ward. Hence, the Tate selection.
If the plan was always to support Ward, then was Tate the best option? Tate has been a good player, but four drops and three fumbles are frustrating. He has a great feel for spacing and is most effective against zone coverage. Tate has the ability to snap off a defender in the short-to-intermediate portions of the field, but he has not yet shown an ability to stretch the field or consistently win against man coverage. Tate has just one reception for 33 yards on eight targets 20-plus air yards downfield, according to Next Gen Stats. He also ranks 42nd in EPA per target against man coverage among 53 receivers with at least 10 targets vs. man, per NGS
With Robinson in the fold, the team was likely seeking size at the position; a player who could align as the X or Z (off the ball) in the formation. Jordyn Tyson wasn't available until Week 9 this season. There is a conversation about Denzel Boston perhaps being a better player, but the production has been inconsistent, with growing pains there as well.
There had always been questions about Tate's ceiling, but the same was also true of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. As a rookie, Smith-Njigba had 63 receptions for 628 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tate is on pace for 77 receptions for 944 yards. Can Tate follow a similar path, going from a high-end No. 2 wide receiver to one of the best in the league?
The Titans are coming off a bye week, so it will be interesting to see whether there have been any changes in his usage.
A quick look at NFL Draft history shows that the first wide receiver drafted often does not always become the most productive one. Last year was a bit unorthodox with Travis Hunter Jr. playing both ways, but Tetairoa McMillan has been a better receiver. In 2024, Malik Nabers outperformed Marvin Harrison Jr. Justin Jefferson was famously the fifth wide receiver drafted in his class behind the likes of Henry Ruggs and Jalen Reagor. Hollywood Brown and N'Keal Harry were the only first-round selections in a 2019 class featuring A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel.
Was there a better option at No. 31 overall?
Tennessee traded up from its position at No. 35 overall to select Faulk at defensive end. Saleh likely wanted to add talent on defense after using the No. 4 overall selection on offense.
Faulk was a young prospect with great size and length, but had never realized his full potential at the college level. By landing him late in the first round, the hope is that they can foster his development and acquire the equivalent of a talent who should have been taken much earlier.
To this point in the season, Faulk has struggled to get off blocks. He could do a better job developing his counter moves and setting up those moves. Too often, he attempts to play through the body, which requires superhuman strength to win consistently against NFL linemen. His 2.8% pressure rate ranks No. 26 among 27 rookies with 50+ pass rush snaps, according to TruMedia. Comparatively, the aforementioned three rushers taken after Faulk rank No. 5 (Thomas), 7 (Howell), and 12 (Parker) in the metric, respectively.
Those struggles persist into the run game. Just like he does in the pass rush, Faulk gets too far into the body of run blockers and struggles to disengage. He has 4 run tackles and 3 run stops through 89 running downs this season. That 4.5% run tackle rate and 3.4% run stop rate are 54th and 46th, respectively, among 56 rookies with at least 50 run downs, according to Next Gen Stats.
Long-term outlook
Tate's baseline looks like a high-end No. 2 wide receiver with the potential to be a top-20 receiver in the NFL. He has struggled with fumbles and drops early in his professional career, but history suggests that is an aberration. While at Ohio State, he had 0 fumbles and 5 drops over 39 games played.
Because Faulk just turned 22 years old, the Titans will be patient with him, but slow starters rarely become elite performers. There is usually a quality with which a young player can win while other aspects of his game develop.
