Carnell Tate 2026 NFL Draft: scouting report for Ohio State Buckeyes, wide receiver

Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate is among the best in the 2026 NFL Draft, but there are some potential limitations.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) celebrates a touchdown Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Height: 6030
Weight: 195
Year: Third-year junior
Pro Comparison: CeeDee Lamb

2025 NFL Combine Results

Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

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Pros of Carnell Tate

  • Tate is a really smooth route runner who displays aptitude for nuance at the stem. He understands how to manipulate defenders with double moves, doing so with fluid movements, and prevents physical contact in doing so.
  • Displays a high football IQ. Tate understands spacing really well and attacks the holes in zones consistently.
  • Is a tremendous deep ball receiver. Tate is an elite ball tracker and attacks it in the air with aggression. In 2025, he was 12/14 in contested catch situations.

Cons of Carnell Tate

  • Tate is more of a long strider. Once he gets moving, he’s got plenty of speed, but there is a lack of explosiveness that will prevent him from stacking top-tier cornerbacks in the NFL.
  • His limitations with speed and explosiveness, along with twitch, will limit his YAC ability.

Background

Tate is the latest in a long line of Ohio State Buckeyes wide receivers. He came into Columbus as the No. 3 wide receiver and 22nd-ranked recruit in the 2023 recruiting class. Tate was also the No. 6 recruit in the state of Florida. He’s been very productive over the last two seasons as a featured wide receiver for the Buckeyes, but he was never the No. 1 option with Jeremiah Smith. In his career, Tate has 121 receptions for 1,872 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Player Evaluation

Tate is a versatile wide receiver who can play X, Z, and in the slot. Ohio State played him everywhere opposite of Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. He is a very smooth mover who understands defenses at a high level. He can attack every blade of grass on the field and thrives at the catch point. There are limitations with his athleticism, as he won’t test as the most elite athlete, but Tate has more than enough football IQ and technique nuance to make up for it.

A to Z Rankings

A to Z Big Board Ranking: 13th overall, WR2

A to Z Draft Grade: 9.11

Draft projection: Early First Round

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