Carnell Tate’s first OTA reviews for May come with the usual qualifiers, but the Titans have already seen something valuable from their rookie receiver: the early signs of a downfield passing game that Cam Ward was missing last season.
The Titans finished up their May OTAs on Friday, May 29. During that session, Tate pulled in four catches, including a one-handed grab in the rain off a Cam Ward throw and a contested sideline catch over cornerback Micah Robinson. The first came during a third-down period where Robinson was flagged for holding Tate’s arm.
For Tate, the case is easy to make by just looking at last season’s numbers. Tennessee managed only three completions of 40 or more yards in 2025. Meanwhile, five of Tate’s nine touchdowns for Ohio State were over 40 yards.
That was a throw Tennessee didn’t have in their arsenal. Tate gives Ward the kind of target who can win above the frame, finish through contact and handle bad conditions – opening up back-shoulders, fades, and late sideline throws. Ward summed it up nicely after the first OTA: “He’s got great hands, wins in man coverage, and he’s a strider.”
Tate’s reliability isn’t just an OTA headline
He posted a 0% drop rate on 51 receptions at Ohio State last year, and PFF places his hands in the 94th percentile among NFL receivers. General manager Mike Borgonzi gave a similar description after drafting him: “Tate is a bigger, vertical guy with the ability to play big downfield. That’s the one thing, all these contested catches downfield, his ability to go up and catch the football, contort his body in certain ways.”
Linebacker Cedric Gray summed it up more simply after Friday’s practice: “He’s the truth. I’m on the Tate bandwagon right now.”
OTAs are no pads, no contact and no game plan. The practical takeaway is that Tennessee can start giving Ward clear, repeatable throws that test his timing without asking him to solve the whole field at once. Isolated boundary routes, play-action shots off condensed formations, and red-zone fades where Tate’s size and hands become part of the progression.
Veteran receiver Calvin Ridley returned to practice Friday, while Wan’Dale Robinson—another new face this offseason—posted a 3-of-140 target drop rate last year. Second-year receivers Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike remain in the mix along with K.J. Osborn. Tate doesn’t carry the room alone.
What still needs to show up
OTA numbers can disappear once defenders get physical. Tennessee still needs to see whether Tate can separate against press coverage, handle route adjustments, and stay productive when defences focus on taking away his sideline routes. The Titans have four more OTAs in June, along with mandatory minicamp on June 16-17, to get a better look before training camp.
For now, there’s value in seeing something specific start to take shape. Five of his nine college touchdowns were from over 40 yards out – the exact part of his film that stood out most during draft evaluations. Early spring reps haven’t done anything to dim that view.