Last season, the Houston Texans and their suffocating secondary only allowed four wide receivers to eclipse 100-plus yards in a game against them on the season. They were:
- Alec Pierce (Indianapolis Colts): 4 catches, 132 yards (33.0 avg), 2 touchdowns [Week 18]
- Puka Nakua (Los Angeles Rams): 10 catches, 130 yards (13.0 avg), 0 touchdowns [Week 1]
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seattle Seahawks): 8 catches, 123 yards (15.4 avg), 1 touchdown [Week 7]
- Khalil Shakir (Buffalo Bills): 8 catches, 110 yards (13.8 avg), 0 touchdowns [Week 12]
That equals only roughly 23.5% of the time where Houston's prolific pass pilfering platoon allowed a pass catcher to hit the century mark on the year. To add, the Texans were 2-2 in games when they weren't able to prevent that from happening.
Former Ohio State Buckeye Carnell Tate, who the Tennessee Titans drafted as the first wide receiver off the board at fourth-overall, is tabbed by many as being a player who could lead the pack of the new class of receivers that are making their way to NFL arenas. And with that, Tate could theoretically threaten to be one of the next receivers who could threaten to eclipse the 100-yard threshold against Houston's defense in 2026 if they're not careful.
Count Bleacher Report NFL Insider James Palmer among the group of supporters, as he boldly proclaimed his confidence with the First-Team All-Big Ten recipient recently on his Insider's Notebook segment.
James Palmer is a bold supporter of Titans' Carnell Tate
"Tate is really going to be the guy that Cam Ward [quarterback] relies on," began Palmer at the onset of his support for Tate during the segment. He continued,
"He is the number one. The Titans are going to be make that abundantly clear that he is their alpha right from the jump. He does everything right. He is always exactly where you need him to be. He is meticulous in the way that he handles his details. He's about as consistent as a football player as you can have, and I think that's a big part of what the Titans are getting."
In his final year at Ohio State, Tate finished with 51 receptions for 875 yards (17.2 avg) and nine touchdowns. His play helped lead the Buckeyes to the Cotton Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Quarterfinals, where they lost 24-14.
However, he still ended his collegiate career with a National Championship that was won in the 2024-2025 season, where his team defeated Notre Dame 34-23, with him accumulating two catches for 35 yards in the contest (17.5 avg).
Carnell Tate enters the NFL with a winning pedigree
Tate is one of the true game changers at the position heading into the 2026 season. Even as a rookie, Tate is someone to be respected as being able to flip a game on its head if given the opportunity. While the Texans fielded a secondary unit that allowed the seventh-lowest receiving yards per game to receivers in 2026 (205.1), leakage in the latter parts of the season began a troubling trend that head coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke surely want to not repeat heading into year four of their tenure over the defense.
Tate against any member of Houston's elite secondary will make for "must see" television. Hopefully, that includes multiple Texans victories along the way.
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