Carnell Tate is the most polished and prototypical receiver in this draft class. As an Ohio State receiver under Brian Hartline, he is a polished route runner, very effective with contested catches, fluid in and out of his breaks. Tate is one of those receivers that fits into the mold of recent Ohio State receivers. Most any concerns stem from Jeremiah Smith being his teammate.
Is Tate Ja'Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson? No. He lacks elite top end speed (ran a 4.53 forty) and many of the reps he would expected to be evaluated on, went to Jeremiah Smith. Common resistance to Tate in the top 10 comes back to not being the WR1 on his own team and less than elite yards and touchdowns. All factors that tie back to Smith, who will be in the conversation for greatest WR prospect ever.
There is no doubt among NFL insiders that Tate will be productive and will help an NFL team. Whether he will be a WR1 or an elite WR in the NFL is what is up for debate. He should fall somewhere between adequate WR1 to in the conversation for best WR2 in the league by his second contract. If he can be better than that, a top 6-12 draft pick should be logical. In this draft.
Here's a look at where Tate is projected to land in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Carnell Tate NFL Draft projections
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr - No. 8 New Orleans Saints
They need to surround second-year quarterback Tyler Shough with as much talent as possible, and the No. 2 wide receiver on the roster is Devaughn Vele (25 receptions last season). Tate brings a well-rounded scouting report, with solid route running and the ability to come down with tough catches thanks to his hands and body control. He'd be great opposite Chris Olave -- yet another excellent receiver to come out of Ohio State in recent years.
The Ringer's Todd McShay - No. 6 Cleveland Browns
By going WR here, the Browns are betting on a quality tackle still being available at pick no. 24. They could also move up to target their guy if necessary. The Browns appear to be punting on QB until 2027, which gives them a year to see what they have in Shedeur Sanders and possibly even Deshaun Watson. It’s a smart decision, given the state of their roster (it’s in no position to support another young QB in 2026). Tate may not be as talented as past top-10 WR prospects (think Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, or Ja’Marr Chase), but he’s an ascending player with size, length, physicality, and contested-catch ability—traits that almost always translate to high-level NFL production. He would be an awesome complement to Jerry Jeudy.
NFL Network's Rhett Lewis - No. 7 Washington Commanders
Support your young talented QB! I don’t think you can go wrong following that North Star philosophy, especially when Jayden Daniels is your quarterback.
ESPN's Peter Schrager - No. 11 Miami Dolphins
Miami has seven picks in the first three rounds, becoming just the second NFL team to have such a haul (2024 Cardinals). And with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle gone, and the sizable investment under center in Malik Willis, the Dolphins have to address the WR room. New coach Jeff Hafley (who coached with Ryan Day in San Francisco and at Ohio State) and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan have countless contacts at Ohio State, and the whole program raves about Tate. He could bring some juice to Miami.
Yahoo Sports' Charles McDonald - No. 6 Cleveland Browns
Offensive tackle and wide receiver. I think the Browns’ paths for their two first-round selections is pretty straightforward to address two of their biggest roster needs (outside of gestures in general direction of the quarterback room assembled in Cleveland). This might be a little rich for Tate, but he is as reliable as they come at the wide receiver position. He can be a winning player in a variety of roles. So no matter how else the Browns continue to fill out their pass-catching room and offense in general, Tate and Harold Fannin Jr. are a young combo that will give whoever is going to be throwing passes sound surroundings to build alongside.
CBS Sports' Garrett Podell - No. 5 New York Giants
Tate is the safest wide receiver in the draft based on measurements and traits. He produced a nation-leading six receiving touchdowns of 30 or more air yards in 2025, which is impressive. He also has a wide catch radius thanks to his wingspan. He's also a strong separator in the middle of his routes downfield, especially playing leverage in zone. However, I wasn't impressed by how he struggled to play through contact at the catch point against Miami in the Cotton Bowl. Factoring in how Tate ate against mostly No. 2 corners in college opposite Jeremiah Smith is also worth noting. Fortunately for Tate, he'll be able to play opposite another true No. 1 in Malik Nabers.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler Big Board ranking - No. 10 overall
Tate is a long, technically proficient receiver who can win at all three levels using high-level tracking/adjustment skills and catching radius. He projects as an immediate NFL starting Z with Pro Bowl upside.
More college football news: