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The Tennessee Titanssurprised many fans and NFL draft analysts when they selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 overall pick.
Even Tate was caught off-guard.
Count former Titans offensive lineman Taylor Lewan, though, as one of Tate's believers. Lewan, who now hosts the "Bussin' With the Boys" podcast with former Titans teammate Will Compton, thinks that Tate is just the kind of weapon that second-year quarterback Cam Ward needs — even if Tate played for his alma mater's biggest rival.
"Coming from a Michigan man himself, I’ll be honest, if you’re a GM and you’re looking at an Ohio State wide receiver, you’re probably safe," Lewan said on the podcast.
Tate caught 48 passes for 838 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025 after hauling in 52 receptions for 733 yards and four TDs the season before as the Buckeyes won the national championship. Coming out of high school at IMG Academy, Tate was a 5-star recruit and the No. 22 prospect nationally.
Ohio State has sent an army of talented receivers to the NFL in recent years, including Michael Thomas, Terry McLaurin, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Tate played alongside Harrison and Egbuka during his career. Last season, he lined up across from Jeremiah Smith, who's considered a potential No. 1 pick in 2027.
"Great football player, incredible routes, finds those holes in zone," Lewan said of Tate. "A lot of people, the big knock on him was he was the No. 2 receiver on his team last year. What happens when you don’t have a guy like Jeremiah Smith taking all the attention away from you?"
MORE: Meet Carnell Tate, new top Titans WR who's survived tragedy with maturity
MORE: Titans reunite high school teammates Pat Coogan, Carnell Tate in NFL draft
Lewan said he was surprised to see the Arizona Cardinals select Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, one spot ahead of the Titans. Love had been heavily mocked to the Tennessee Titans in the weeks leading up to the draft.
The rationale for taking Love was to surround Ward with talent after the 2025 No. 1 pick showed promise during his rookie season. Lewan thinks the same applies to the Tate selection.
"You need to give (Ward) as many weapons as possible," Lewan said. "He’s a confident man, you gotta get that confidence to an all-time high going into this year."
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at [email protected] and on X/Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Taylor Lewan said about Titans first-round pick Carnell Tate
Continue reading...
Even Tate was caught off-guard.
Count former Titans offensive lineman Taylor Lewan, though, as one of Tate's believers. Lewan, who now hosts the "Bussin' With the Boys" podcast with former Titans teammate Will Compton, thinks that Tate is just the kind of weapon that second-year quarterback Cam Ward needs — even if Tate played for his alma mater's biggest rival.
"Coming from a Michigan man himself, I’ll be honest, if you’re a GM and you’re looking at an Ohio State wide receiver, you’re probably safe," Lewan said on the podcast.
Carnell Tate stats at Ohio State
Tate caught 48 passes for 838 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025 after hauling in 52 receptions for 733 yards and four TDs the season before as the Buckeyes won the national championship. Coming out of high school at IMG Academy, Tate was a 5-star recruit and the No. 22 prospect nationally.
Ohio State has sent an army of talented receivers to the NFL in recent years, including Michael Thomas, Terry McLaurin, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Tate played alongside Harrison and Egbuka during his career. Last season, he lined up across from Jeremiah Smith, who's considered a potential No. 1 pick in 2027.
"Great football player, incredible routes, finds those holes in zone," Lewan said of Tate. "A lot of people, the big knock on him was he was the No. 2 receiver on his team last year. What happens when you don’t have a guy like Jeremiah Smith taking all the attention away from you?"
MORE: Meet Carnell Tate, new top Titans WR who's survived tragedy with maturity
MORE: Titans reunite high school teammates Pat Coogan, Carnell Tate in NFL draft
What else did Taylor Lewan say about the Titans' draft?
Lewan said he was surprised to see the Arizona Cardinals select Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, one spot ahead of the Titans. Love had been heavily mocked to the Tennessee Titans in the weeks leading up to the draft.
The rationale for taking Love was to surround Ward with talent after the 2025 No. 1 pick showed promise during his rookie season. Lewan thinks the same applies to the Tate selection.
"You need to give (Ward) as many weapons as possible," Lewan said. "He’s a confident man, you gotta get that confidence to an all-time high going into this year."
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at [email protected] and on X/Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Taylor Lewan said about Titans first-round pick Carnell Tate
Continue reading...
