Carnell Tate's 344 Yards Are a Titans-Era Rookie Record, and Denzel Ward Is Next

Carnell Tate has outgained every Titans-era rookie receiver through six games, and Sunday brings a Browns corner with the NFL's third-best PFF coverage grade.

by Neal Coolong

Oct 23, 2026

Carnell Tate has outgained every Titans-era rookie receiver through six games, and Sunday brings a Browns corner with the NFL's third-best PFF coverage grade.

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Carnell Tate has needed just six games to put his name at the top of a Tennessee Titans record book. The No. 4 overall pick out of Ohio State has 29 catches for 344 yards, the most by a rookie receiver through six games in the Titans era.

That puts him ahead of Kenny Britt (289) and A.J. Brown (273) over their first six games. Tate had 145 yards at Baltimore in Week 4, then caught his first career touchdown in the 26-20 win at Indianapolis. “I just see a kid that has the game come to him so easily,” veteran Calvin Ridley said, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport.

Denzel Ward brings a different test

Oct 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane (6) attempts to grab a pass under pressure from Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (21) in the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field.

Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Sunday’s matchup on the East Bank pits one Ohio State No. 4 pick against another. Denzel Ward, taken fourth overall by Cleveland in 2018, carries an 87.4 PFF coverage grade, third among 102 qualified cornerbacks. He has allowed 13 catches and a 73.6 passer rating with one interception.

The rest of the Browns’ secondary has been easier to beat. Tyson Campbell has allowed a 90.7 passer rating, and safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. sits at 125.5 with Grant Delpit listed as injured on the unofficial Week 7 depth chart. Cleveland plays more man coverage, so Tate will have to win his routes against a defender in his hip pocket. Cam Ward has struggled against both looks, and his 19.7 Total QBR against zone ranks second-lowest among 33 qualified quarterbacks, per ESPN Research.

Titans coach Robert Saleh has watched the game slow down for his rookie. “He’s getting faster, he’s understanding what’s being asked out of him to catch the ball,” Saleh said Monday.

Cleveland’s 4-2 start has leaned on defense, and Isaiah McGuire, Quincy Williams and Maliek Collins each had a sack in the 13-10 win over Baltimore. Tennessee will need Jeffery Simmons to repeat his two sacks and seven pressures from Indianapolis against Deshaun Watson. “And he’s a game wrecker, and he makes that defense go,” Watson told ESPN this week. A low-scoring game would put even more weight on how often Tate gets free from Ward.