It didn’t take long for the 2026 NFL Draft to go off script.
The Titans delivered Thursday night’s first jaw-dropper by using the fourth overall pick on Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate.
Tate, who caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns for the Buckeyes last season, was seen as a potential top-10 pick, but few saw him coming off the board at No. 4.
Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen by the Tennessee Titans with the fourth overall pick during the first round of the NFL draft on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. AP“I’m very excited, I’m very humbled, and I’m very thankful to the Titans organization for believing in me,” Tate said, per the Titans’ website. “It makes me very excited. The team believes in me, and they trust in me to improve the organization.”
The Titans had been rumored to have interest in Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who was taken a pick earlier at No. 3 overall by the Cardinals.
They passed on Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and edge rusher Arvell Reese, who were seen as likely top-five picks in this class, in favor of upgrading at wide receiver.
Reese was selected a pick later by the Giants.
Tate was the first of what is expected to be at least a half-dozen wide receivers selected in the first two rounds of the draft.
“I’m ready to go play fast and play violent and earn the trust of the organization,” Tate said. “I am thankful for the organization and I’m going to bring it all to the table.”
