Carnell Tate | Ohio State | 6’3 , 195 lbs | Jan 19, 2005 (21 years)

Carnell Tate was drafted by the Tennessee Titans, becoming the 1st wide receiver and 4th overall player in the 2026 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE PRODUCTION

Carnell Tate was a 3-year player for The Ohio State Buckeyes and was a starter in both 2024 and 2025. He steadily improved his production with each passing season. His freshman season saw him catch 18 passes for 264 yards and 1 touchdown. His most productive season came as a senior, when he caught 51 balls for 875 yards and 9 touchdowns. He played alongside multiple highly-touted receivers throughout his time at Ohio State, including Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jeremiah Smith, which meant that he was never the primary target for the Buckeyes. Even still, it should be noted that he managed to produce great numbers despite being the team’s secondary target, which could indicate that he can take on a larger role at the next level.

FILM

Carnell Tate might be the most fluid mover at the wide receiver position in this draft class. He is not an elite athlete, nor is he going to blow you away with speed, but he is an extremely polished route runner and technically sound receiver who wins with body control, precision, and an adept understanding of the opposing defensive coverages. He has a knack for winning 50/50 scenarios and will allow his quarterback to trust him even if he isn’t creating obvious separation. His game at the next level will largely be predicated on scheme. If he is deployed on the outside to win deep or is asked to win consistently against press coverage, he will struggle. His strengths are in finding the soft spots in zone coverages and in the short and intermediate sections of the field. 

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ATHLETIC TESTING

Carnell Tate only participated in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine and ran a 4.53. This confirmed some of our prior concerns about his speed and might explain why he was never a great YAC threat at the college level. The good news is that speed was not his calling card to begin with, so the poor 40 time should not have an effect on how we view him for fantasy. 

DRAFT ANALYSIS 

Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Excellent

Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Average

Carnell Tate was drafted 4th overall by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the NFL draft. He was always expected to go inside the top ten, but the landing spot might be one of the worst (if not the worst) that we could have hoped for. He will be asked to step into a feature role as the team’s top wide receiver, and I don’t know that his skill set is well-suited for that role. Regardless, he is an extremely talented wide receiver who can produce in an offense that is devoid of a true WR1. 

FANTASY INSIGHTS

Though Carnell Tate does not profile as a true alpha, there is a real path to him dominating in the fantasy space. He thrives in the middle of the field as a safety blanket for his quarterback and routinely makes 50/50 catches when given the opportunity. His new quarterback, Cam Ward, has shown us that he can build chemistry with a single wide receiver and pepper him with targets if he trusts them (see Xavier Restepo during his final college season). He is also no stranger to taking some chances downfield that he probably shouldn’t. The offense in Tennessee is still pitiful, and I don’t expect them to put up a ton of points, but Carnell Tate could easily put up WR2 numbers this season, assuming that he commands the bulk of the targets for a team commonly playing from behind.

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Thank you for reading, and if you have any thoughts or questions regarding Carnell Tate, you can reach out to me on Twitter @Evan_Kerr_. #DFFArmy #FantasyFootball #AlwaysBeBuilding #NFL #NFLDraft #NFLTransactions #NFLTrades #AlwaysBeScouting