'Balling Out,' Carnell Tate Impresses & Latest on Cam Ward Connection Revealed in New Titans Rumors

The early returns for Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate out of OTAs this week are exactly what fans of the team want to hear.

Appearing on the Saturday morning edition of SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Tate has been "balling out" and has quickly established a chemistry with Cam Ward:

"I'm told he's been balling out at Titans' OTAs. Sure hands. Cam Ward really likes him; they've been really connecting offsite even working together. So, all signs are really positive so far with Carnell Tate. He's been showing out. It's early, it's May, not a lot of action, not a lot of physicality. But his long strides, his playmaking ability to beat man coverage has already show up. They need some weapons for their young quarterback."

Despite wide receiver being a glaring need for the Titans, their decision to use the No. 4 pick in the draft on Tate was met with a lot of skepticism.

B/R's Brent Sobleski gave the selection a "D" grade in part because he had never been asked to be the No. 1 option at Ohio State and because Jordyn Tyson, B/R's top-ranked receiver in the class, was still on the board.

Sobleski did note that several Buckeyes wide receivers who weren't the top option on the team have gone on to be reliable No. 1 targets in the NFL, including Emeka Egbuka, Garrett Wilson and Terry McLaurin.

It does feel a little dismissive to suggest Tate couldn't be the primary option at Ohio State. He spent the past two seasons playing alongside Jeremiah Smith, who NFL people were talking about as being worth the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft if he had been eligible.

Another notable Ohio State receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, only had one season of high-end production in 2021 sandwiched between two years in which he only appeared in a combined total of 10 games.

Ward's box-score stats from his rookie year don't look great. He finished with 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns and a 59.8 completion percentage in 17 starts.

In the context of the offensive system and skill-position talent Ward was playing with, Ward's season looked very promising for what he can become in the future.

Tate is going to be a huge part of the continued growth for Ward. Even at this early stage of the offseason work for the rookie class, the fact their dynamic is already being praised is a good sign for what the Titans offense can become in 2026.