Wide Receiver Carnell Tate Looks Special on Game Film

That’s how I will remember receiver Carnell Tate when I think back to studying him on his 2025 game film at Ohio State…

With him reaching up into the sky with his long arms and strong, confident hands, plucking the ball out of the air.

If I were sitting in a scouting meeting on an NFL team and I was asked what I thought of Tate, I would start by saying, “Tate produced some of the cleanest tape I’ve ever evaluated.”

I had to work at finding flaws, and even then, I didn’t see many.

How good is he?

Tate is the best receiver I’ve studied at Ohio State since I began evaluating college prospects again in 2021.

Wowser.

Why don’t you tell us how you really feel⎯

That’s a big-time list that includes Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Emeka Egbuka.

I know.

I evaluated everyone on that list and had first-round pre-draft grades on all of them except for Olave.

And I loved Smith-Njigba and Egbuka.

What makes Tate so special?

• Size and physicality of a big receiver
• Speed and quickness of a smaller receiver

Tate uses this rare combination to dominate in the short-to-intermediate route level (0-19 yards), and he uses that speed to be able to take the top off a defense.

How do cornerbacks play him?

It really amounts to a quick guessing game, and that’s because Tate drives so hard off the snap with that size and strength.

What’s it going to be?

Something underneath?

⎯or⎯

Something deep?

Good luck.

How good is Tate at catching the ball?

I mean, that is the bottom line with receivers, right?

2025:

• 51 receptions
• 65 tagets
• 78.5% catch rate

😳

✅ Tate checks that box too

Does Tate have one trait that is more impressive than all the rest?

Yeah.

And it’s something that you may not hear from anyone else.

Selflessness.

⎯which is the No. 1 trait in my book in a team sport.

Blocking is the absolute least glamorous thing a star receiver can do, and it’s something Tate does on most of his snaps. Running play. Pass play to another teammate. Doesn’t matter. Tate is out there blocking like he means it.

This is one of the most impressive things I saw Tate do this season:

Concerns?

C’mon, he can’t be perfect.

He’s not.

• Missed three games with “tightness in his lower leg” (247Sports)
• Minor tendency not lay out for passes (3x this season)

That’s it?

Yeah.

What’s an NFL team getting when they select Tate?

A game-changing receiver who will only enhance team chemistry.

One of the safest prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Impressive.

#17 Carnell Tate 6-foot-3, 195 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2026 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First Round prospect as of January 23, 2026

Ohio State Wide Receiver Carnell Tate Has Great Hands (2024: 15 games evaluated)

2025 game film evaluated: Texas, Grambling, Ohio, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan, Indiana, and Miami (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025: 51 receptions for 875 yards (17.2 yard avg.), 9 TD, Long of 57

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Smooth. Lines up outside or inside. Lanky defined frame. Polished route runner. Alpha demeanor. Runs like a sprinter. Nimble. Graceful looking. Determined. Can achieve route leverage. Knows how to set up corners. Bends routes with an additional counter step. Crisp change of direction. Wins at breakpoints. Doesn’t “front face” on routes until the last second. Excellent concentration. Works back to the ball on underneath routes, which creates even more space: excellent deep ball tracking and high-pointing skills. Good body control. Can walk the tightrope along the sidelines. Hangs on when he’s absorbing strong contact. Handful after the catch. Good vision running with the ball. Endzone-minded. Works back to his quarterback when he’s in trouble. Can “hold” a corner in his area of the field when he’s not the intended receiver by slowing down a little.

Final words

Tate is fun to watch.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.