NFL Draft profile and projection for wide receiver Carnell Tate

Carnell Tate told the media at the NFL Combine that he is the best wide receiver in this year's NFL Draft class. The college football media and voters didn't agree, as USC's Makai Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award. However, most NFL Draft prognosticators agree with Tate, and they have the Buckeye going as the top receiver in this year's draft. Why, though? And where does that land him? Let's dive in.

Carnell Tate, Wide Receiver

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) catches a touchdown pass during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Oct. 4, 2025.

Draft Projection: First round

Tate will be one of the top receivers in this year's draft class, one that doesn't particularly have a lot of elite receivers. Which means that teams that want a receiver are going to be reaching pretty high to take Tate.

For the second straight year, the Buckeyes have an elite wide receiver in the draft who wasn't even the best receiver on the team. Jeremiah Smith is still the cream of the crop for Ohio State, but Tate has all of the measurables and the on-field performance in college to impress NFL scouts. On top of that, the recent track record of Buckeye receivers in the NFL will make pro teams more optimistic about taking Buckeyes. (Other than Marvin Harrison, Jr., every elite Buckeye receiver for the past decade has become an elite receiver in the NFL.)

Will Tate be the third Buckeye taken in the top ten, as many mock drafts are showing? There's a chance not, as it's always a bit iffy with which teams need receivers and how long they're willing to wait. But he's not going to slip out of the first round, which basically guarantees Ohio State ... and there will be more to follow that, too.