When the Cardinals chosen running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick in last month’s draft, many expected the Titans to grab linebacker/EDGE Arvell Reese with the No. 4 alternative. As we learned after the draft, the Titans were concerned about Reese’s positional slot in recent head coach Robert Saleh’s defense, which is considered one of the explanation why Tennessee opted for wide receiver Carnell Tate as a substitute (although the team reportedly would have taken Reese if Tate had not been available).
We also learned the Titans viewed Tate’s athleticism more highly than his official scouting mix metrics. And there was one other aspect of his game that drew Tennessee to the previous Buckeye: his ability against press coverage.
As ESPN’s Turron Davenport notes, Titans receivers caught just 17% of their targets last season when facing press coverage. Latest offensive coordinator Brian Daboll (video link via Davenport) said he’ll address that concern schematically with more bunch formations and motions, and Daboll added that Tate’s presence will go a great distance given what he was capable of placed on tape while in college.
Tennessee did find an EDGE in a while in Day 1, trading back into the primary round to land Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk. The team then picked up linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. within the second round, so it quickly tended to each of the defensive positions that might have been targets at No. 4. Clearly, nevertheless, adding more weaponry to second-year quarterback Cam Ward’s arsenal was a top priority, and the Titans apparently feel they landed an entire player at the highest of the draft board.
Along with his press coverage acumen, the 6-foot, 192-pound Tate earned a status as a superb route runner in his three years at Ohio State, where he caught 121 passes and 14 touchdowns in 39 games. His production took off after Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka turned pro, and he didn’t drop a pass in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
The Titans also added free agent WR Wan’Dale Robinson to a receiver room that features promising 2025 draftees Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike (together with second-year tight end Gunnar Helm). The team returns veteran wideout Calvin Ridley, whose 2025 campaign was cut short by a broken fibula.
Behind Ward on the QB depth chart are recent acquisitions Mitchell Trubisky and Hendon Hooker, together with holdover Will Levis. Trubisky appears locked into a task as Ward’s top backup, leaving Levis and Hooker to battle for a QB3/practice squad spot. Levis’ future in Nashville has been called into query, but he stays on the roster in the meanwhile.
Naturally, Daboll had nothing but positive things to say about his group of passers. As Terry McCormick of TitanInsider relays, Daboll praised Ward’s skilled approach and Trubisky’s familiarity along with his offensive system (the OC also believes Trubisky’s teammates can profit from the previous No. 2 overall pick’s history of ups and downs). Daboll added that Levis has picked up the system quickly and can profit from the fresh start presented by Tennessee’s offseason regime change, and he said Hooker “looked good” in his tryout with the club.