Former Buckeye Carnell Tate Makes Shocking Admission Regarding Titans' Selection

Carnell Tate has wasted little time letting Tennessee Titans fans know what kind of highlight plays he’s capable of making on a regular basis, all throughout the offseason.

Whether it’s about one-handed grabs or highpointing the football, Tate has been making everything look effortless during his first few practices with his new team.

He makes it look so easy pic.twitter.com/a2EtMfBanm
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) June 11, 2026

Surprisingly, Tate never expected to be wearing Titans blue in the NFL.

According to the former Ohio State standout, he was convinced he would be playing for either the Browns, or the Commanders.

"Nah, I didn't know I was going to go that early,” admitted Tate on the St. Brown Podcast, hosted by NFL wide receivers and brothers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Equanimeous St. Brown. “We thought my draft started at [pick] 4 to 15. Realistically, I thought I was going to go 6 or 7 or 8. I was shocked, for real. I didn't expect to go that high, and then it happened... I thought Cleveland, I thought they weren't going to pass up on me. Also the Commanders. I think I was locked in for the Commanders."

Tennessee ended up snatching Tate at 4th overall, never really giving the Browns or Commanders a chance.

Interest was always high in Tate as the 2026 NFL Draft came closer and closer, with Tennessee one of multiple teams scheduling Top-30 visits with the wideout. Cleveland, Washington, Kansas City, New Orleans and the New York Giants were also among the teams he met with during the pre-draft process.

The Titans didn’t let the former 4-star recruit out of IMG Academy slide, adding a much needed weapon to quarterback Cam Ward’s re-tooled arsenal.

What's next for Carnell Tate in the NFL?

Titans’ mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 16-17th, before the team gets back together in late July for training camp.

It will be a critical summer for Tate, who faced intense scrutiny as a draft prospect from those questioning whether he had it in him to become a WR1 at the next level, after spending most of his collegiate career playing alongside Unanimous All-American Jeremiah Smith.

Based on what we've seen coming out of Nashville, so far so good.

Alongside veterans Calvin Ridley, Tate is expected to lead as a rookie a group of mostly young wideouts that includes Wan'Dale Robinson, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike for second-year passer Ward, the first player selected overall during the 2025 NFL Draft.

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