Carnell Tate NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Tennessee Titans WR

The Tennessee Titans selected Ohio State WR Carnell Tate with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Carnell Tate is a route-running technician and specializes in manipulating defensive backs. He runs every branch on the route tree.

Tate's height and wingspan offer a quarterback-friendly target. He extends the catch point away from his frame and plucks the ball from the air. Tate is a bouncy athlete who can climb the ladder over defenders at the catch point. He has soft, reliable hands and excellent ball tracking skills.

Tate joined Ohio State's program as a 5-star recruit in the 2023 class, per 247Sports. Tate thrives in the WR2 role in the Ohio State Buckeyes' offense. This season, he caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns.

Dame Parson is the lead host of the Locked On NFL Draft podcast. He also serves as co-host of the Scouting Room NFL Podcast alongside Daniel Harms.

Highlights

Carnell Tate highlights

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Where He Wins

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- Advanced route runner; consistently manipulates leverage and creates separation

- Sells vertical stems effectively, forces defenders to open hips early

- Long strider, covers ground quickly with free releases

- Strong ball skills, fully extends outside frame, and wins at the catch point

- Excellent body control, adjusts to off-target throws

- Competitive perimeter run blocker

Areas of Improvement

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- Build-up speed, lacks initial burst versus physical press coverage

- Questionable play strength; can get stalled by physical cornerbacks

- Limited YAC creativity, relies on angles rather than elusiveness in the open field

- Saw favorable coverage matchups across from Jeremiah Smith, raising questions on how he will handle WR1 workload and defensive attention

Grade, Rank, and Pro Comparison

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GRADE: 8.15 (Year 1 Starter— 1st Round)

COMPARABLE GRADE: Quentin Johnston (8.4 in 2023), Jaxson Smith-Njigba (8.3 in 2023), Jameson Williams (8.4 in 2022)

OVERALL RANK: 10

POSITION RANK: WR2

PRO COMPARISON: A Bigger DeVonta Smith

Measurables and Testing Data

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Height: 6'2"

Weight: 192

HAND: 10¼"

ARM: 31¾"

Wingspan: 78"

40-Yard Dash: 4.53

3-Cone: N/A

Shuttle: N/A

Vertical: N/A

Broad: N/A

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