When the Tennessee Titans opted to spend the fourth overall pick on Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, it surprisingly sent shock waves across the NFL. Many people thought that if the Titans weren’t able to get Jeremiyah Love, that they would go with an EDGE rusher. Not to mention, Arvell Reese was available. Instead, the Titans decided to gift Cam Ward with his new hopeful No. 1 receiver in Tate.
Free agency was about building up the defense with players that are very familiar with Robert Saleh. The draft was about surrounding Ward, while throwing in a little bit more defensive help. At the end of the day, drafting Tate is the best decision if Tennessee wants Ward to take the next step forward.
Titans fans are hoping that Tate delivers right from the start. While he was never the true No. 1 receiver at Ohio State, he makes fantastic catches with elite hands and separation ability.
Being the 4th overall pick, expectations are big for Tate and Jordan Reid from ESPN is making a bold prediction for Tate’s first season that fans will love.
Carnell Tate projected to make immediate impact for Titans in Year 1
Not only is Reid saying that Tate will make an impact right away, he is projecting Tate to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
"Three of the past five Offensive Rookie of the Year award winners have been receivers, and I think that trend will continue. The former Ohio State receiver steps into a situation where he's going to be asked to be the leading receiver right away. Tate's skill set aligns well with quarterback Cam Ward's appetite for attacking down the field." said Reid.
We don’t want to make any major predictions right now, but the Titans' set up with the combo of Ward and Tate could look something very similar to a Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase pairing. The Bengals drafted their hopeful franchise quarterback, and then a year later they drafted his dynamic wide receiver. The Titans have that current setup but now it will really depend on what they can do on the field.
Seeing this early prediction is obviously bold, but it’s definitely doable. Tate is an extremely talented player and if he can connect with Ward early on, he will be able to show any doubters just exactly why Tennessee spent a high first round pick on him.
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