Things could not have gone much worse for Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at the NFL scouting combine, where it’s safe to wonder if Tate maybe shouldn’t have even participated.
Tate’s time in Indianapolis was punctuated by a disastrous showing in the 40-yard dash, where the previously projected 1st round pick turned in a disastrous 4.53-second time. That ranked him 27th out of 34 wide receivers, with 4 of the top projected picks not even running.
“He’s pretty slow,” Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane said during the NFL Network’s broadcast. “I probably wouldn’t take him early.”
Tate’s 40-yard dash time also caused some controversy when reports came out that he might not be as slow as it seemed.
From The Athletic: “Carnell Tate’s 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine is under dispute after the Ohio State wide receiver was officially clocked at 4.53 seconds inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday. At least two teams had the top prospect with a faster time, team sources confirmed … Teams recorded Tate with a time in the 4.45-second range, sources said. The discrepancy could be attributed to the equipment used for laser timing, as some teams logged times differing from the official mark for other prospects as well, according to sources. This likely means teams will monitor results from Pro Days with more scrutiny.”
Social Media Weighs In On Tate’s 40 Time
It’s kind of amazing to think that just 4/10th of a second separated Tate from not having to deal with this level of scrutiny.
Had he run the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds, none of these questions would exist. But he ran a 4.53 … so here we are.
It’s one of the great football mysteries that the 40-yard dash time and those types of slim margins determine whether someone makes or loses millions of dollars, especially when it doesn’t accurately depict game speed.
Football fans from the 1980s watched Jerry Rice outrun 2 of the fastest cornerbacks in NFL history — Deion Sanders and Darrell Green — for touchdowns for the majority of his career. Sanders and Green both reportedly ran in the high 4.1 to low 4.2 range in the 40-yard dash.
Rice reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.71 seconds before the 49ers selected him in the 1st round (No. 16 overall) of the 1985 NFL draft.
“If you’re moving Carnell Tate down because he didn’t run a 4.3, never post your board or rankings again,” Bleacher Report’s Ray G wrote on his official X account. “Firmly WR1 in the NFL Draft.”
Carnell Tate Still Projected as 1st Round Pick
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter predicts the Baltimore Ravens will select Tate with the No. 14 overall pick in the 1st round.
“It seems like Baltimore always finds value in the middle or later parts of Round 1,” Reuter wrote in his latest mock draft. “In this case, the Ravens scoop up Tate, whose profile is appealing enough that he could go in the top 10; with his strong hands and crisp route-running, he seriously boosts the potency of Lamar Jackson’s arsenal.”
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.
‘He’s Pretty Slow’: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate’s Draft Stock Dips After Combine