Carnell Tate reveals Chiefs' interest amid NFL Combine news and rumors
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Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate has been connected to the Kansas City Chiefs.
There are 3 wide receivers projected to not only be drafted in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL draft, but projected to all be gone by, depending on which mock draft you look up, by somewhere around the 20th pick.
Of those 3 wide receivers, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, and USC’s Makai Lemon, it’s Tate who is starting to create some separation with less than 1 month before the draft.
It’s also Tate who could very well be the man for the Commanders with the No. 7 overall pick in the 1st round, and the franchise is about to get an up-close and personal look at him.
“Carnell Tate said he has upcoming Top 30 visits to the Giants, Titans, Saints, Commanders, and Chiefs,” NFL reporter Ryan Dunleavy wrote on his official X account. “Already visited Browns.”
Tate would give the Commanders an Ohio State pairing at wide receiver with NFL All-Pro veteran Terry McLaurin already in the fold … and possibly out the door after the 2026 season.
“Carnell Tate would be such a great pairing with Terry McLaurin,” ESPN’s Mina Kimes said on Wednesday. “I think, at minimum, he is an excellent 1B. I love him with McLaurin. The smoothness, the route running, the hands …. and he is a downfield threat in just a different way, but that would be such a good pairing for Jayden Daniels. So I would be more inclined to go wide receiver (in 1st round).”
Tate Seems Like Plug-and-Play NFL Wide Receiver
Tate, 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds, seems like he was built in an NFL wide receiver lab … which Ohio State essentially is.
The former 5-star recruit from Chicago spent each of his first 3 seasons playing alongside multiple first round picks and holding his own; No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. as a true freshman in 2023, No. 19 overall pick and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Emeka Egbuka in 2024, and potential 2027 No. 1 overall pick Jeremiah Smith the last 2 seasons.
In 2024, Tate had 52 receptions for 733 yards and 4 touchdowns as he helped lead Ohio State to the College Football Playoff National Championship. In 2025, he had 51 receptions for 859 yards and 9 touchdowns while sitting out 3 games with a lower-body injury.
Commanders Called Out for Not Improving WRs
The Commanders did a commendable job of upgrading their defense in free agency but took a big swing and a miss on trying to sign Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce, who decided to stay put instead of take a chance in D.C.
So, while the Commanders improve overall, they may just not have improved where they needed it the most, according to Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame.
“Washington did a terrific job in free agency, adding Odafe Oweh, Leo Chenal and others to buttress its defense,” Verderame wrote. “With Jayden Daniels hopefully healthy this season, the Commanders should bounce back … The defense ranked last in 2025, so even improvement doesn’t necessarily mean good. As for the offense, a healthy Daniels makes everything work, but the unit needs more than just Terry McLaurin to threaten opponents.”