NFL analyst has questions about Ohio State's Carnell Tate as top WR

Aqib Talib is a former NFL first-round pick. Talib played 12 seasons in the NFL as a cornerback, won a Super Bowl, was named first-team All-Pro once, second-team All-Pro once, and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection.

These days, Talib is a co-host of "The Arena: Gridiron" podcast, alongside Skip Bayless, Gerald McCoy and Cody Kessler. Recently, Talib has been previewing the 2026 NFL Draft. This week, Talib, alongside his co-hosts, named their top three receivers in next week's draft. For Washington Commanders fans, the analysis was worth a listen.

Washington badly needs another wide receiver. The Commanders have hosted most of the top receivers in this draft class and met with them numerous times. At some point, Washington will select a wide receiver, perhaps as high as No. 7 overall.

Ohio State WR Carnell Tate is often mentioned as a possibility for the Commanders in mock drafts. It makes sense. The 6-foot-2, 192-pounder is a two-year starter for a school that produces some of the NFL's best wide receivers, including Washington's Terry McLaurin. Tate has fans across the NFL, including with the Commanders. Recent rumors suggest he could go as high as No. 5 to the New York Giants or No. 6 to the Cleveland Browns.

When each co-host of "The Arena: Gridiron" named their top three receivers, Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson came in at No. 1 for Talib and McCoy. Tate was No. 2 for both, while Kessler, a former NFL quarterback, ranked Tate No. 1. Bayless, though, felt differently, ranking Tate third behind USC's Makai Lemon and Tyson.

"I don't get Carnell Tate," Bayless said. "I just don't. I'm just watching TV, and I see one guy, named Jeremiah Smith, who might be the first overall pick one year from right now. And Carnell Tate, to me, doesn't have elite speed, elite quickness, elite separation."

For as outlandish as Bayless can sometimes be, it's a fair point. Tate ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, and some in the NFL have questions about Tate without an elite talent like Smith playing opposite him. While Bayless looked at that as a negative, Talib did not.

"He's got great size, great hands, a polished route-runner," Talib said of Tate. "He's also going up for 50/50 balls and making plays. If he didn't play across from the guy he played across from, he probably would've put up better numbers, but the numbers are there. I think he's got great game speed. His 40 time is 4.5, whatever, but you see on tape in the game, and he looked fast. I love his game speed."

Kessler called Tate a "quarterback-friendly wide receiver," meaning he knows how to come back to the football and is a big-play waiting to happen.

If Tyson didn't have a long injury history, he'd probably be ranked No. 1 on most draft boards. However, that's not meant to disparage Tate. He's outstanding. About his speed, how many defensive backs did you see catching him from behind?

The Commanders have a big choice on their hands next week. Do they believe Tate is the No. 1 receiver? Will he even be available? Would they feel comfortable with Tyson's medical history, or taking Lemon inside the top 10?

Washington continues to be one of the most fascinating teams to watch one week from the 2026 NFL Draft.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Is Ohio State's Carnell Tate the top WR?