NFL draft profile 2026: Carnell Tate (Wide receiver, Ohio State)

The 2026 NFL Draft is in Pittsburgh! This draft season, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital, and their fit with the Steelers.

Wide receiver remains a popular first-round option for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026. Let’s take a look at one of the biggest names at that position in this year’s draft:

The basics on Carnell Tate

Offensive stats via Sports Reference

Carnell Tate scouting report

Arguably the top wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft, Tate’s game is built on polish. He’s neither freakishly athletic (4.52-second 40-yard dash) nor a massive X receiver (measured in at 6’2, 192 pounds at the Combine), but there’s no question his game will translate well to the NFL level.

Simply put, everything Tate does looks smooth and easy. He’s a natural hands-catcher and possibly the best route-runner in this year’s receiver class.

Tate has a diverse route tree and runs every one at a high level. There’s no wasted movement in his breaks, and he’s incredibly quarterback friendly, coming back to the ball on comebacks and curls, and breaking flat on digs. While he’s not a jittery athlete who will juke defenders out of their shoes, he’s deceptively quick and gets open with sharp cuts and excellent tempo.

Again, Tate isn’t a true burner, but he was certainly a deep threat at Ohio State. In 2025, he averaged 17.2 yards per reception, and reliably beat coverage deep in every game I watched. Watch how he exploits coverages and puts cornerbacks in the blender with a rocker step — all without losing speed.

I wouldn’t call Tate a contested catch specialist, per se, but he’s great at tracking the ball and makes grabs through contact fantastically for a receiver his size. That said, if his game has one weakness it’s that he had some struggles separating from press coverage, being outmuscled by more physical cornerbacks.

On a similar note, I wouldn’t call Tate a great blocking receiver for the same reasons, but I did come away largely impressed by his willingness. He sprung the occasional gain thanks to his efforts doing dirty work.

Tate’s football IQ is nothing short of impressive, especially considering he’s just 21. He’s hyper-aware of where he is on the field, finds spots versus zone to get open, and makes himself available on scramble drills. He should be the next in a long line of Ohio State wide receivers who contribute immediately to NFL offenses.

Still, I’m not quite as high on Tate as the consensus. Playing alongside Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State, Tate was able to take advantage of a lot of favorable matchups as defenses were largely concerned with shutting down the Greek god playing X on the other side of the field. That, along with Tate’s lack of truly elite physical traits, make me think he’s still a very, very good receiver, but not a blue-chip, game-breaking WR1 at the next level.

Don’t get me wrong, though. Tate is undeniably a first-round prospect and his game is immensely NFL ready. Whichever team drafts him is going to get a good pro for a long time.

Strengths

No clear weaknesses; well-rounded game
Sharp, sophisticated route runner; no wasted movement
High football IQ; reliably settles in between zones, spaces routes well
Excellent scramble drill receiver

Weaknesses

Good, not jaw-dropping athleticism/frame combination
Can struggle versus press coverage

What others are saying about Carnell Tate

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

Ascending “Z” receiver who continues to step out from the shadow of Ohio State teammate Jeremiah Smith. Tate has good size but would benefit from more play strength. He builds momentum quickly on intermediate and deep routes, utilizing speed and tempo to pressure cornerbacks. He can win over the top on verticals or separate over the first two levels with route savvy and separation burst. Tate tracks throws at top speed and makes his adjustments to run under them. He combines timing, body control and catch radius to dominate air space and consistently lands on the winning side of contested catches. Pass catching comes effortlessly with soft, strong hands and he consistently works back on throws to keep ballhawks from hawking. Tate displays rare polish for a player his age and has the talent to become a heralded pro within his first three seasons.

Damian Parson, Bleacher Report

Versus off-coverage, he stems his routes with intent to manipulate and move the defender off their spot to free him space at the break point. Tate is a long strider who eats up grass with free releases. … Body control and ball skills to attack the football in flight. Tate can extend at the catch point with the best of them. He utilizes his whole frame and wingspan to make a play on the football that enters his zip code. … Is not a self-creator after the catch. He creates extra yards with angles to hit open space after the catch. … PRO COMPARISON: A tall & heavier DeVonta Smith.

Chris Pflum, Big Blue View

He is a smart, pro-ready receiver who can be a threat at all three levels of the field and an immediate contributor as a dependable option with big-play upside. Coaches will also love that Tate is an unselfish player who helped his teammates however he could in an offense that spread the ball around and looked elsewhere even when he was the best option.

Carnell Tate’s fit with the Steelers

You might be wondering why we’re covering Carnell Tate on a Steelers website when most would agree he’ll be long gone by the time Pittsburgh is on the clock.

However, there still isn’t that strong of a consensus as to who the WR1 is in this year’s class. Some prefer Makai Lemon, who has gained steam as a top-10 pick, while others see Jordyn Tyson as the clear top talent if you can get over the injury concerns.

While unlikely, Tate could slip within the Steelers’ draft range if the NFL views the board slightly differently from the media. And if so, he’d be a great fit to round out the team’s wide receiver room, adding a reliable, quick-to-separate skill set alongside the physical games of D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr.

Tate would also set the Steelers’ passing game up long term thanks to his legitimate WR1 upside and ability to win at all three levels.

TL;DR: Tate would be the WR1 on just about any college offense if he wasn’t the Robin to Jeremiah Smith’s Batman at Ohio State. While not especially big or fast, Tate is unquestionably an NFL-level athlete who wins with buttery smooth route running, good hands, and an advanced football IQ.

What are your thoughts on Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!

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