Former Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate is one of the most explosive players in the 2026 NFL Draft and is expected to be a top-10 pick on draft night. Tate formed one of the most devastating offenses with fellow wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and quarterback Julian Sayin for the Buckeyes last season, earning a PFSN College Offense Impact score of 90.9.
Ryan Day Praises Carnell Tate’s NFL-Ready Skill Set Despite Combine Concerns
During Monday’s segment of the “Jim Rome Show,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day broke down the qualities that make Tate a special talent ready for the demands of the NFL.
“He’s a tremendous route runner. When you watch him get in and out of breaks, he’s special,” Day said. “Also, if you watch him block, he did a great job, so he’s a team player. His running after the catch is excellent, he’s a deep threat down the field and the way he tracks a deep ball. I think his game translates very well to the NFL.
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“Carnell’s one of those guys that’s only played three years of football. His ceiling is very high, you’re only seeing a little bit of what he can do.”
Tate is in the running to be the first wide receiver off the board on draft night alongside former USC Trojans star Makai Lemon and former Arizona State Sun Devils standout Jordyn Tyson.
He ran a 4:53 in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis, raising eyebrows among fans and analysts. His time was No. 27 among the 34 wide receivers at the combine.
After Tate’s mixed performances at the combine, NFL Network’s draft expert Chad Reuter predicted that the former Buckeyes star’s draft stock would take a hit on draft night and that he would slip into the middle of the first round, rather than the top-10 as initially predicted.
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“Tate is one of the best talents in this year’s draft, but his 4.53-second 40 was average, at best, for a 192-pound receiver,” Reuter wrote. “Tate did not attempt to overcome that mediocre long speed in field drills, passing up an opportunity to run smooth routes and show his strong hands…Unless he impresses scouts with his pro-day effort, teams drafting in the middle of the first round might have a chance to grab the Buckeyes’ next top NFL wideout.”
Tate earned a PFSN College Wide Receivers Impact score of 84.5 after tallying 875 receiving yards on 51 receptions, resulting in nine touchdowns for the Buckeyes last season.
