Robert Saleh didn’t have much time for a long conversation on Saturday, but he didn’t need much time to make his point about Carnell Tate.
The Tennessee Titans head coach was in Stateline, NV, for the second round of the 2026 American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Resort when he was asked about the former Ohio State Buckeyes receiver, whom Tennessee took No. 4 overall in the 2026 NFL draft. Saleh kept it brief, but the message came through loud and clear.
"Carnell's awesome and coming along nicely. I'm super excited to work with him moving forward," Saleh told me.
The reaction fit the moment. Saleh had been all business before the question, but after talking about Tate, he was all smiles. And for Tennessee, there’s a reason the pick has become such a talking point.
The Titans took Tate over players many viewed as higher-ceiling options, including fellow ex-Buckeye EDGE Arvell Reese. Tate even said after the draft that he didn’t expect to hear his name that early.
"Realistically, I thought I was going to go six or seven or eight. … I was shocked for real, I didn't expect to go that high," Tate said after the draft on the St. Brown Podcast.
But Tennessee didn’t draft him on hype alone. Tate’s 2025 season gave the Titans plenty to like, especially in contested situations. He caught 13 of his 14 contested targets, and he was a nightmare on Julian Sayin 50/50 balls.
That’s the kind of skill set the Titans clearly wanted as they continue a rebuild that has now stretched into four playoff-less seasons. Saleh and Brian Daboll, Tennessee’s new head play-caller, both made their mark with their first draft pick in Nashville, and the choice was about fit as much as upside.
Saleh has said before that the move was designed to give Cam Ward help right away. Ward, the Titans’ No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, now has a receiver the team believes can be a true WR1.
"Not to say he's the most important piece, but he's pretty important, and that's our quarterback," Saleh told Paul Kuharsky about choosing Tate at No. 4 to play with Ward. "We're doing everything we can to help him and surround him with players who can get the ball in their hands and go score.
Carnell [Tate] was obviously by far the top receiver on our board. When we got to No. 4, it was a very easy decision to make."
For Saleh and the Titans, the pick was never just about the noise around it. It was about getting Ward a weapon they trusted.
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Ohio States 2027 recruiting class is already built around elite talent, with three five-star commitments and a national ranking that has the Buckeyes sitting ninth overall. The staff is still pushing to add at least two more five-stars before Signing Day, and one of the biggest names left on the board is David Gabriel Georges, along with receiver Monshun Sales, whose recruitment has become one of the more closely watched storylines in the cycle.
Sales has set a July 17 commitment date, giving Ohio State a clear marker as it tries to keep momentum going with a class that still has room to climb. The Buckeyes are in the mix with several other programs, but this one carries extra weight because of where Ohio State stands now and how much a win there could change the feel of the class heading into the fall. [Read more 🡒]
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