From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Ohio State WR Carnell Tate.
No. 17 Carnell Tate/WR Ohio State – 6-3, 195 pounds (Junior)
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Carnell Tate 6-3/195 N/A N/A N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
The Good
– NFL frame and build
– Smooth and fluid player in all his movements
– Impressive route runner who separates at the top of the seam, beats man coverage, and maintains speed through his cuts
– Does an excellent job tracking and finding football
– Adjusts to throws outside his frame well, a combat catcher
– Plucks the ball away from his frame, hands catcher
– Willing and effective blocker and use reflected it (insert blocks, split zone flow, digging out safeties)
– Finds soft spot against zone coverage
– Works hard to get open in scramble drills and comes back to the ball as a route runner
– Shows burst and ability to change tempo mid-route, shows nuance as a route runner
– Regarded as a team player with high character
The Bad
– Has an upright stance that could increase surface area off the line
– Can get beaten up in press coverage
– May lack true home run speed
– Production wasn’t overwhelming, and he has never had a 1,000-yard season in high school or college
– Missing top-end twitch to consistently win underneath, most work came on intermediate/deep routes
– The majority of his snaps came on the outside
– Just average post-catch, marginal break tackle or escapability
Stats
– Career: 121 receptions, 1,872 yards (15.5 YPR), 14 TDs over 39 games (26 starts)
– 2025: 51 receptions, 875 yards (17.2 YPR), 9 TDs over 11 games
– Five total 100-yard games, two games with multiple touchdowns
– Career (per PFF): 1,274 snaps out wide, 190 in the slot
– Five career drops, zero in 2025 (4 percent)
– 12.9 ADOT, 4.8 YAC/R for career
– PFF’s No. 5 offensive grade among WRs in 2025 (No. 5 receiving grade, No. 50 run block grade)
– Had 750 receiving yards, 8 TDs, senior season of HS
– Over 120 total special teams snaps, including 17 on kick coverage unit as a freshman
Injury History
– 2024: Missed the Iowa game with an unknown injury
– 2025: Missed three games with a calf strain suffered in pregame warmups against Purdue
Bio
– Turns 22 years old in January, 2027
– Four-star recruit from Chicago, Illinois; moved to Bradenton, Florida, and played at IMG Academy for junior and senior seasons, citing football development and uncertainty if Illinois would hold football after losing the 2020 season to the pandemic
– Chose Ohio State over Tennessee, Notre Dame, Georgie, and a slew of other big-time schools; called Ohio State his “dream school”
– First-team All-Big Ten in 2025 and second-team All-American
– Mother, Ashley, killed in a drive-by shooting in July of 2023; the two were incredibly close and “best friends”
– Teammates say he didn’t complain about a limited role behind Ohio State standouts like Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jeremiah Smith
– Part of 2022 championship South Florida Express 7-on-7 team, where he played with Jeremiah Smith
– Coaches regard him as “mature” with laser focus on football
– Enjoys golfing
Tape Breakdown
Carnell Tate went from Illinois to Florida to Ohio, spending three quality years with the Buckeyes. Though he never led the team in receptions or yards, he played a steady, selfless role on offense.
His frame is a little thin, but Tate has a good makeup. Even without elite production, his tape is impressive. Tate is a strong route runner, fluid and nuanced enough to maintain speed through his cuts.
Tate’s ball tracking and hands might be his most standout traits. He does a great job plucking away from his frame and adjusting to balls that aren’t perfectly thrown on his body.
He’s a willing blocker and a hard worker. Tate shows a selfless demeanor, staying at Ohio State when he could’ve easily transferred to virtually any other school to be the clear No. 1 and put up gaudy numbers.
Tate could stand to add some weight and muscle, and he can get beaten up at the line of scrimmage. It’s not a major issue, but something to look at as he, at 21, grows into his body. His stance is a little tall and upright, and could also be tweaked by his NFL positional coach.
An example of him against press-man below.
While his selfless play is commendable, the lack of production still cuts against him. Tate’s never had a 1,000-yard season. The history of receivers to post four digits for the first time in the NFL probably isn’t great. He’ll have to beat some of the historical norms if he wants to fulfill his likely first-round draft slot.
Conclusion
Overall, Carnell Tate is a rock-solid receiver prospect with few obvious weaknesses or concerning red flags. He’s athletic with good hands, solid routes, a willing blocker, and high character. There’s a question of whether he’ll ever be a great NFL receiver or, like in college, a very good one, which matters in using a first-round pick and making him a No. 1 wideout. Who, in my definition, is someone a passing game runs through. Still, Tate has a chance to outproduce his college production.
Though a bit taller in listed height, I’m following Lance Zierlien’s lead of comparing Tate to New Orleans Saints receiver Chris Olave.
NFL Draft Projection: Early-Mid First Round
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 8.7 (Long-time starter)
Grade Range: 8.2-9.1
Games Watched: vs Texas (2024 – playoffs), at Texas (2025), vs Penn State (2025), at Indiana (2025)
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