The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, sending us back to the film room with a new set of prospects, questions, and concerns to explore.
Dampening the week's run is a disappointing trend. Fewer prospects than ever are participating in the event, opting to push athletic testing to the pro day circuit. It's hard to blame the prospects for listening to their agents and exercising caution during the pre-draft circuit. But there's also an appreciation for the prospects that do lace up the cleats and run the 40-yard dash.
Of the class's consensus top three wide receivers, only Ohio State Buckeyes star Carnell Tate ran the 40-yard dash. His 4.53-second time didn't help his stock, but as he closes in on Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, it's worth looking at how his athletic profile might shape expectations.
Top athletic comparisons for Carnell Tate
-----------------------------------------
Tate was a slight loser from the Combine festivities, coming in a bit shorter and slower than anticipated. It doesn't seem likely that his stock will be affected by his testing, but there is less of a case for Tate as a true blue-chip receiving prospect.
That certainly doesn't take him out of the running for WR1 in this class.
Tate measured in at 6022 and 192 pounds, with 10.25-inch hands and 31.75-inch arms. His 4.53-second 40-yard dash included a 1.61-second 10-yard split. While it's not quite what the Buckeyes faithful had in mind, it also wasn't the kind of run that sends you back to the all-22 asking what went wrong.
Perhaps the top comparable athletic profile for Tate is former [Dallas Cowboys](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/dallas-cowboys) receiver Terrance Williams (6020, 208, 4.52 seconds). Tate's lack of testing makes him a bit harder to compare, although his film suggests he'd post better agility and explosiveness numbers if he had jumped at the Combine.
Even so, Williams churned out a fairly successful career for himself as the second boundary threat on Tony Romo's offenses. He topped out at 840 yards (2015) and eight scores (2014), but was a reliable part of several passing attacks. If that's Tate's relative floor, his odds of making a difference on Sundays seem high.
**MORE:** [Top athletic comparisons for Jeremiyah Love after the NFL Combine](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/top-athletic-comparisons-jeremiyah-love-nfl-combine/9e56a5969969cf840f110190)
Another former Cowboys receiver with a similar blend of size, strength, and speed is Cedrick Wilson Jr. He was my WR5 in 2018, admittedly a bullish ranking, but a profile I still like.
Wilson had inside-outside versatility thanks to above-average shiftiness for his size. Tate hadn't played more than a tenth of his snaps in the slot in either of the last two seasons, but Wilson's success and the Buckeye's route tree suggest that a higher portion of his looks might come inside at the next level.
Josh Reynolds (6027, 194, 4.52 seconds) is another part-time player who represents a left-tailed outcome for Tate. Reynolds never took the massive leap some hoped for under Sean McVay's tutelage, although he contributed at all three levels of the field as an ancillary option.
Subsequently, Tate's measurables don't scream prototypical No. 1 receiver. It's important to note that there's more to Tate's profile than his frame and long speed. Draft capital alone suggests he'll be more successful than these predecessors, both due to extra opportunities and a higher baseline level of talent.
Tate is at his best making plays above the rim, putting his large hands to the test. He's adept at making contested catches and playing with a bigger catch radius than his 6'2" frame suggests. Combine that with strong separation skills and an expanded route tree from his platform season, and Tate is easily the most complete receiver from this group.
Likewise, Tate took considerable strides in 2025, blossoming from a fringe-first-round talent to a slam-dunk top-15 talent. In another class with more dynamic talents, Tate's underwhelming Combine may have dampened his stock. Instead, it remains a suboptimal part of an otherwise excellent profile, and a piece of the puzzle rendered less meaningful by his tape.
More NFL Draft news
-------------------