The Herd with Colin Cowherd," Saleh’s notably stoic demeanor during the pick spoke volumes, suggesting a potential internal rift over the franchise's overall team-building strategy.
The draft room camera often tells a story that press conferences try to hide. For the Tennessee Titans, the selection of Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate may have inadvertently revealed a simmering disconnect between head coach Robert Saleh and the team’s front office.
Why Robert Saleh Couldn’t Hide His Feelings About the Titans Drafting Carnell Tate
According to NFL analyst Colin Cowherd on his podcast, “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Saleh’s notably stoic demeanor during the pick spoke volumes, suggesting a potential internal rift over the franchise’s overall team-building strategy.
“First of all, it kind of felt like to me that Robert Saleh had one interest and the scouting department had another,” Cowherd noted, setting the stage for a critical review of the Titans’ recent draft maneuvers.
While Tate is widely regarded as a solid prospect with a bright future, Cowherd questioned whether he offered the elite upside necessary to justify the selection at that specific spot.
He finished with a PFSN CFB WR Impact Metric score of 84.5, which was good enough to rank him eighth among all wide receivers in 2025.
However, comparing him to other elite Ohio State standouts, the analyst bluntly stated, “He is a number two receiver at Ohio State. He is not JSN [Jaxon Smith-Njigba]. He is not Jeremiah Smith.”
However, the most compelling evidence of internal friction wasn’t the player’s collegiate resume but the head coach’s immediate reaction to the selection.
“Does this look like Robert Saleh is overjoyed? It doesn’t,” Cowherd observed. “And he’s a very expressive guy. I didn’t love his expression here.”
The commentary suggested that Saleh might have strongly preferred highly rated defensive prospects still on the board. Cowherd pointed to players like safety Caleb Downs, cornerback Mansoor Delane, or linebacker Arvell Reese as potentially better overall prospects.
The scrutiny didn’t stop at the Tate selection. Cowherd also took aim at the front office’s decision to aggressively move up in the first round for Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk.
Citing insider sentiments, Cowherd highlighted a generally accepted unwritten rule of the draft: “There’s a little bit of a no-no in the draft in the first round moving up for a developmental player or a project.” While acknowledging Faulk is a “quality guy,” Cowherd revealed that league contacts view the Auburn product “more as a second-round guy.”
For a team in the Titans’ current position, taking risks on developmental projects is a luxury they arguably cannot afford.
“When you’re Tennessee, you’ve got to ace picks,” Cowherd emphasized. “You are fighting uphill. Half the league or three-quarters of the league or more has a better roster. So it’s not about a competent draft or a safe draft. You got to hit on guys.”
While Cowherd applauded the defensively minded Saleh for acquiescing to an offensive selection, noting the team has been “wide receiver shy for years,” the underlying tension remains a focal point. Even if these selections aren’t absolute “disaster picks,” the apparent lack of organizational synergy is a glaring cause for concern.
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“I feel like Robert Saleh wanted one thing and the GM and the scouts wanted the other,” Cowherd concluded.
As the Titans integrate Tate and Faulk into their evolving roster, all eyes will be on whether the scouting department’s vision pays off or if Saleh’s draft-day reservations are ultimately validated on the field.
