The Ohio State Buckeyes have quite a few players set to head off to the 2026 NFL Draft. One of those players is none other than wide receiver Carnell Tate.
At this point in time, most are expecting Tate to be a top-10 pick. Some even have him projected to a top-five pick when all is said and done.
During the 2025 college football season, Tate put together a strong year. He caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 17.2 yards per reception.
Tate played all three years of his college career at Ohio State. He finished up his career with the Buckeyes catching 121 total passes for 1,872 yards and 14 touchdowns. Now, he will look to join the long list of former Ohio State wide receivers to become stars in the NFL.
With the NFL Draft just over a month away, the question becomes, which team will draft Tate?
Ohio State’s Carnell Tate Predicted to Join Rising Star NFL QB
A new prediction has been made about where Tate will begin his NFL career.
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt unveiled a new mock draft on March 16. In that mock draft, he had the New York Giants taking Tate to give young quarterback Jaxson Dart another elite weapon.
“I wanted to give the Giants Caleb Downs. I think Downs is perfect for coach John Harbaugh and fits the mold of all those smart, versatile safeties he had when he was the Ravens’ head coach. I think it would be a mistake to not draft Downs, but the Giants could use another pass catcher for quarterback Jaxson Dart,” Klatt wrote.
“Tate, with his ability to make contested grabs down the field, is a good fit for Dart’s gunslinger passing style. Some might debate USC’s Makai Lemon as a better receiver than Tate, but I think Tate is the better fit for the Giants’ offense.”
What Kind of Player Does Carnell Tate Project to Be?
There are some split opinions about Tate’s NFL future. He is expected by many to develop into a star, while others have reserves about him.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein has revealed an interesting NFL comparison for Tate. He believes that the Buckeyes’ standout compares favorably to former Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave.
Here is a snippet about what Zierlein had to say of Tate:
“Tate tracks throws at top speed and makes his adjustments to run under them. He combines timing, body control and catch radius to dominate air space and consistently lands on the winning side of contested catches. Pass catching comes effortlessly with soft, strong hands and he consistently works back on throws to keep ballhawks from hawking. Tate displays rare polish for a player his age and has the talent to become a heralded pro within his first three seasons.”
As the NFL Draft continues to draw closer, it will be interesting to monitor the projections. Tate has legitimate superstar potential and joining a team like the Giants would be a perfect fit to start off his professional career.
Ohio State WR Carnell Tate Predicted to Join Rising Star NFL QB