Coming into the NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans could have taken two different directions; either continue to build the defense even more after free agency, or give Cam Ward a solid weapon that he can grow with moving forward. Even though the Titans had the opportunity to take someone like Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, or Sonny Styles with the 4th overall pick, they decided to go with offense, drafting WR Carnell Tate.
Giving Ward a new young receiver gives him a true fighting chance to prove that he can be the face of the franchise in Nashville. While Tate was never a true No. 1 receiver at Ohio State, it’s because he was part of an offense that had a generational talent in Jeremiah Smith.
However, that doesn’t mean that he won’t become the next great receiver in Tennessee. With a recent power rankings list by Sayre Bedinger of NFL Spin Zone, Titans fans see not only Tate being successful in his first year, but also see a potential breakout season from Ward.
Carnell Tate hype for 2026 gives promise for what could come from Cam Ward
Bedinger put together a list of the Top 10 Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates for the 2026 season, and Tate was ranked No. 2 on Bedinger’s list only behind Jeremiyah Love of the Arizona Cardinals.
"With [Cam] Ward expected to break out this upcoming season, Tate could be the guy he's looking to more often than others. If Carnell Tate can become Cam Ward's favorite target, how could henotbe one of the top 2-3 contenders for Offensive Rookie of the Year?" said Bedinger.
"He's coming from the Ohio State program, which seemingly is able to crank out NFL-ready receiver prospects annually. He is going to be coming to the Titans ready to contribute as a WR1, and I wouldn't be surprised if he helps elevate that entire offense right away." Bedinger added.
Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan won the award last season, and that was with having Bryce Young as his quarterback. Young took a step forward last year, but Ward has more potential than Young. Now with Ward gaining his new WR1 in Tate, he could easily avoid the sophomore slump and rise to the occasion.
With a new look in Nashville in various areas, fans are hoping to see their newly young QB/WR duo breakout and have a season that shows that they are and will be the real deal for the future.
Add us as a preferred source on Google