In some ways, the New Orleans Saints actually outperformed expectations in 2025.
The team was frequently picked to finish at the bottom of the league, but they actually ended up winning six games. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough showed flashes and the team should feel good about the quarterback position going forward.
However, if Shough is to reach his full potential, the Saints need to get him some more weapons. The team has Chris Olave, who's an elite receiver when healthy, but there's not much else to write home about.
T.J. Randall of PFSN recently posted a seven-round mock draft that has the Saints adding a weapon with their first-round pick. Randall has the Saints going with Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate, pairing one Ohio State receiver with another.
Regarding this selection, Randall offered the following:
This is a receiving corps that could use more juice, not only as a whole, but as a build block for quarterback Tyler Shough (or whoever the quarterback of the future is if he proves incapable). With Bain Jr. still available, it wouldn’t shock me to see him come off the board here and then see New Orleans go wideout later.
Nevertheless, they’ve done well with another former Buckeye at this position in Chris Olave. Albeit one with a history of concussions that would make a team want to have another reliable option available, hence the Carnell Tate selection.
As Randall mentioned, the Saints need more juice at receiver, and Tate is arguably the best receiver in this class.
Also, the Saints have had success drafting an Ohio State receiver early before, so they may feel comfortable going back to the well. Because of Olave's injury history, the Saints need another reliable receiver like Tate.
In 2025, Tate played in 11 games and caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns. Those numbers don't jump off the page, but you have to remember that Tate played behind the best receiver in college football, Jeremiah Smith.
In total, Tate caught 121 passes for 1,872 yards and 14 touchdowns over three seasons with the Buckeyes. The receiver has the speed to get open across the middle and down the field, but is also capable of going up and making contested catches.
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