LSU has long held the belt as “Wide Receiver U,” but Ohio State has been making a push in recent years to take it away from them. The Buckeyes have produced several high-profile wideouts, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who just helped lead the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX title after leading the NFL in receiving yards during the regular season. Ohio State has also ushered in the likes of Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Terry McLaurin, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka into the NFL over the last few years.
Could Carnell Tate be the latest OSU pass catcher to take the NFL by storm?
At 21 years old, he is earmarked to be a first-round pick at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh later this spring, and could very well be the first wideout to come off the board. While CBS Sports’ Mike Renner has Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson as his top receiver entering the NFL Scouting Combine, Tate was a close second and even has him as the first receiver selected in his latest mock draft due to Tyson’s injury history. CBS Sports Senior NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson has Tate as WR1 in his most recent mock as well.
Tate is an enticing prospect who could prove to be a stellar downfield threat at the NFL level, and his route-running ability could have him ascend quickly into stardom. He possesses good size, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 195 pounds. For the Buckeyes last season, Tate averaged 17.2 yards per reception, hauling in 51 balls for 875 yards and nine touchdowns.
The question surrounding Tate is where he’ll end up. While the 2026 NFL Draft is still months away, let’s dive into a handful of landing spots that could make sense for the Ohio State pass catcher.
New York Giants (No. 5)
The Giants are stepping into a new era in 2026. After landing Jaxson Dart as its QB of the future last year, the team has since hired John Harbaugh as its head coach, and the future is looking bright. That said, the offense could stand to add more weapons around Dart, especially with fellow wideout Malik Nabers recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 4 and running back Cam Skattebo suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 8. It remains to be seen if those two young weapons will be ready to go to begin the 2026 campaign, so an addition like Tate makes sense to provide some immediate artillery for Dart as he begins his sophomore season. Once Nabers and Skattebo return to full strength, New York would suddenly have a dynamic young core at the skill positions with Tate in the fold.
Cleveland Browns (No. 6)
The Browns still have major questions at quarterback, but there is no viable option for them to take at No. 6 overall. Instead, they should continue building around QB and ride the momentum they struck at the 2025 draft. There, they brought in the likes of running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, along with tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who led the team with 731 yards receiving last season. This go-around, adding a playmaker like Tate would give Cleveland a much-needed boost at receiver. Currently, the room is made up of Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and Isaiah Bond. Jeudy was second on the team with 602 yards receiving, and Bond was third with 338 yards. Whether it’s Shedeur Sanders or someone else, bringing in a playmaker like Tate will help Todd Monken’s offense get off the ground in 2026.
Washington Commanders (No. 7)
The 2026 season was a disaster for Washington. After reaching the NFC Championship in Jayden Daniels‘ rookie season, his second year in the league saw him limited to seven games due to injury, and the defense regressed to one of the league’s worst units. While there’s an argument to be made to add to the defensive side of the ball after surrendering a league-worst 384.0 yards per game, Washington also needs more weapons around Daniels. Deebo Samuel is unlikely to return as he hits unrestricted free agency, leaving Terry McLaurin as still the top option, along with Luke McCaffrey. Even veteran tight end Zach Ertz, 35, is a free agent, so there is a need to get younger and more dynamic at pass catcher for the Commanders. Selecting Tate inside the top 10 accomplishes both.
Kansas City Chiefs (No. 9)
It doesn’t seem this offseason, but Travis Kelce is going to retire at some point, which means the Chiefs need to begin transitioning the offense around Patrick Mahomes into the next era. Through the first half of Mahomes’ career, Kelce has been the linchpin of the offense and his go-to target. The team has brought in the likes of Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice in recent seasons, but they haven’t hit as big as the team has hoped both on and off the field. Neither of them feels like a dependable option to lean on in a post-Kelce world, and Rice is entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2026. So, K.C. would be best served to keep hunting for Mahomes’ next top-tier weapons, and that could very well be Tate.
Los Angeles Rams (No. 13)
You might look at the Rams and think that wide receiver is one of the last positions they’d look to with this first-round pick, but don’t be fooled, this is a sneaky need for the organization. While Puka Nacua is arguably the best wide receiver that the NFL has to offer, Davante Adams is entering his age-33 season and the final year of his contract. Tate could be a solid addition to an already lethal L.A. offense for 2026 and then ascend to a bigger role in 2027 if/when Adams and the team part ways. Because the Rams have two first-rounders in 2026 — No. 13 and No. 29 overall — they can add a luxury piece with one of them, which could be Tate. I view this in a somewhat similar light to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — who had Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. — drafting Emeka Egbuka last offseason.
