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The Tennessee Titans ushered in the Robert Saleh era this week as players reported to the Vanderbilt Health Football Center ahead of training camp. The acclimation period began with non-contact drills on Wednesday, and on Saturday, the players will don their pads for the first time in 2026.
One of the biggest things people are talking about with the Titans is rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate. Last season, Cam Ward didn't have many reliable targets to throw to, so Mike Borgonzi set out to fix that problem. Enter Wan'Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate, both of whom were brought in to support Calvin Ridley and give the Titans offense some juice.
What the Titans didn't know when they drafted Tate, though, was just how much he learned at Ohio State. NFL Insider and co-host of the "89" podcast with Steve Smith, James Palmer, has learned that Tate might be the smartest rookie Brian Daboll has ever been around.
"Carnell Tate, taken fourth overall, is going to be, in my opinion, already the focal point," Palmer begins. "I talked with some people there and this, to me, was the best thing I got out of the prep for this episode. Brian Daboll believes this is the smartest rookie he's ever been around. That stands out a lot, especially when you're going to lean on Carnell Tate the way they're going to have to lean on Carnell Tate."
Ohio State is known to produce elite-level football players in various positions, and wide receiver is part of that. Looking at his college stats, you'd never believe that he has always been WR2. First, alongside Emeka Egbuka, then alongside Jeremiah Smith, who is likely a first-round draft pick in 2027.
Steve Smith chimed in next, "What he does already, you gotta remember ... zero holding calls. More than 600 blocking snaps. He's going to get his facemask dirty. He knows that his involvement in the offense is not just on the receiving, he has to be an all-around wide receiver. He's a young, veteran-minded rookie wide receiver."
Read that last sentence again. He's a veteran-minded rookie. He plays that way because it's how he was asked to play at Ohio State. He wasn't the top guy; he wasn't the first target on most plays, but he did his job to perfection. No holds. Blocking when asked. Receiving passes thrown to him. Out of 121 receptions over his collegiate career, Tate is credited with just two drops.
Tate is reliable, he's sure-handed, and he's willing to do whatever it takes for the offense to be successful. He saw what that looked like at Ohio State when he took a secondary role to Smith in 2024. Smith came in as a true freshman and shook up the landscape, but Tate didn't falter. He accepted his role and did it well, and the Buckeyes won the National Championship that year. He will elevate the Titans' wide receiver room and give this offense the boost it needs every single time.
As for his intelligence, let's also remember who Daboll has coached in the past: Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, Wan'Dale Robison. That's just a few names, but Tate should consider Daboll's words as high praise indeed.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Is Titans WR Carnell Tate the 'smartest rookie' Brian Daboll has coached?
Continue reading...
One of the biggest things people are talking about with the Titans is rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate. Last season, Cam Ward didn't have many reliable targets to throw to, so Mike Borgonzi set out to fix that problem. Enter Wan'Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate, both of whom were brought in to support Calvin Ridley and give the Titans offense some juice.
What the Titans didn't know when they drafted Tate, though, was just how much he learned at Ohio State. NFL Insider and co-host of the "89" podcast with Steve Smith, James Palmer, has learned that Tate might be the smartest rookie Brian Daboll has ever been around.
"Carnell Tate, taken fourth overall, is going to be, in my opinion, already the focal point," Palmer begins. "I talked with some people there and this, to me, was the best thing I got out of the prep for this episode. Brian Daboll believes this is the smartest rookie he's ever been around. That stands out a lot, especially when you're going to lean on Carnell Tate the way they're going to have to lean on Carnell Tate."
Ohio State is known to produce elite-level football players in various positions, and wide receiver is part of that. Looking at his college stats, you'd never believe that he has always been WR2. First, alongside Emeka Egbuka, then alongside Jeremiah Smith, who is likely a first-round draft pick in 2027.
Steve Smith chimed in next, "What he does already, you gotta remember ... zero holding calls. More than 600 blocking snaps. He's going to get his facemask dirty. He knows that his involvement in the offense is not just on the receiving, he has to be an all-around wide receiver. He's a young, veteran-minded rookie wide receiver."
Read that last sentence again. He's a veteran-minded rookie. He plays that way because it's how he was asked to play at Ohio State. He wasn't the top guy; he wasn't the first target on most plays, but he did his job to perfection. No holds. Blocking when asked. Receiving passes thrown to him. Out of 121 receptions over his collegiate career, Tate is credited with just two drops.
Tate is reliable, he's sure-handed, and he's willing to do whatever it takes for the offense to be successful. He saw what that looked like at Ohio State when he took a secondary role to Smith in 2024. Smith came in as a true freshman and shook up the landscape, but Tate didn't falter. He accepted his role and did it well, and the Buckeyes won the National Championship that year. He will elevate the Titans' wide receiver room and give this offense the boost it needs every single time.
As for his intelligence, let's also remember who Daboll has coached in the past: Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, Wan'Dale Robison. That's just a few names, but Tate should consider Daboll's words as high praise indeed.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Is Titans WR Carnell Tate the 'smartest rookie' Brian Daboll has coached?
Continue reading...
