Looking to carry on Ohio State’s legacy as a WR-U in the 2026 NFL draft, Carnell Tate’s draft projection has so far produced satisfactory results for the wide receiver. He is a consensus top-10 prospect for many. However, for one of sports media’s most polarizing voices, he’s not even a first-round talent. The reason why is simpler than you think.
In a recent episode of The Arena, Skip Bayless confessed to not understanding all the hype revolving around the receiver. Based on his analysis of watching him play, “He is just a guy” for the former Fox analyst.
“I just don’t get Carnell Tate getting this hype. I’m going a lot on eye test. I watch him a lot, and this is just me but he was just a guy to me. I think I could catch a couple if I could be opposite to that guy [Jeremiah Smith],” Bayless said.
Skip’s comments came after another person on his show praised Tate for his production, especially his average of 17 YPC, even though he was the WR2 after Jeremiah Smith. Given his history of being a contrarian for the sake of getting virality and clicks, it’s safe to presume that Bayless is choosing to side with the less popular discourse.
However, there isn’t any glaring hole in Carnell Tate’s game. He has proven why he is arguably the WR1 of the class. And it’s not just because of his college production. There have been times when players marked as RB2 and WR2 have gone higher in the draft. Josh Jacobs never led touches at Alabama, but he was considered more pro-ready than the running back who did.
It also helps Tate’s status in the draft that Jeremiah Smith is not eligibile this year. However, Tate’s case is as strong as it could be for any other WR. According to Lance Zierlein, “Tate displays rare polish for a player his age and has the talent to become a heralded pro within his first three seasons.”
He is a hawk with exceptional hand-eye coordination. When the ball is in the air, he runs fast with his eyes on the ball. His body flexibility was noticeable by his agility to twist and turn to catch the ball. Even when it is congested play, he always wins.
And despite Skip Bayless’ rather unsurprising take, given his history of bad takes, you won’t be able to stop Tate from believing in himself.
“I think I’m a great football player,” Tate said. “I’m a football player. I got the best route-running ability out there in the draft, probably in the country, even in the league. So, I just did what I do best while out there: run routes and catch the football.”
Over his Ohio State career, Tate accumulated 1,872 receiving yards on 121 receptions, including 14 touchdowns. And while numbers may not flash brilliance, it must be noted that in his second year, he was the WR3 behind Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith. Last season, he got more targets and finished the campaign with 875 receiving yards on 51 receptions.
Teams that are trying to draft Carnell Tate
Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate has the stats and the predictions favoring his chances of being a first-round pick. OSU producers of the best wide receiver have proven themselves again, as the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and Kansas City Chiefs are all in the race to draft him.
Most mock drafts have the Buckeye wide receiver in the 5-9 range in the first round. As per NFL Mocks and CBS Sports, the Browns can take him with their No. 6 overall pick in the first round. The ‘pro-readiness’ of his attributes makes him a talent too hard to miss for a team with other pressing needs.
However, given that their running back room got fixed through free agency, the Chiefs can also take Carnell Tate if the Browns go for a defensive player. Andy Reid’s team has the 9th pick, and they need a true WR1 who can help Patrick Mahomes. The three-time Super Bowl Champion has lacked that kind of help since Tyreek Hill went to Miami.
There is also some noise around the Giants and the Saints. In any case, it’s unlikely that he’ll slid down to the likes of Dallas.
