Carnell Tate Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Jay LaPrete/AP Photo)

School: Ohio State

Class: Junior

Position: WR

HT: 6’3

WT: 195 lbs

Background: Carnell Tate was a highly-regarded 4-star wide receiver out of Chicago, Illinois. Tate played his first two seasons for Marist High School before transferring to IMG Academy in Florida. Tate was a top 10 wide receiver in the 2023 class and a top 60 player nationally. In 8 games as a senior for IMG, Tate recorded 750 yards and 8 touchdowns. Tate committed to Ohio State over LSU, Tennessee, Alabama, and others.

College: Carnell spent his first two seasons at Ohio State as a complementary weapon. In those two seasons, he tallied 70 receptions for 997 yards and 5 touchdowns. 2025 was the season that Tate became a true focus of the Buckeyes’ offense. He caught 51 balls for 875 yards and 9 touchdowns on his way to being named an All-Big 10 First Team selection.

Strengths: Carnell Tate emerged as a top wide receiver prospect in this draft class due to how dynamic and well-rounded he is. Tate is one of those players who can do a lot of everything that is wanted out of a wide receiver. In the deep areas of the field, Tate is strong and aggressive at the catchpoint, going up to snag 50/50 balls. He shows late hands to leave force defenders to try to play the ball instead of his body. Carnell can create separation with long strides on go routes. He is also a crafty route runner in the short and intermediate areas. He excels at the stems of his routes, breaking sharply and often creating separation by selling misdirection. Subtle hesitation or quick twitch can throw the defensive back off his hip and free him up. Corners struggle to keep up with his strides and change of direction in man coverage, but Tate also does well to find weak spots in zone defense.

Weaknesses: Despite having long strides, Tate’s speed tests are underwhelming. His 40-yard dash time puts him behind the 8 ball. He relies too much on that length at the line of scrimmage. If his length is matched by the defender, he has issues getting into his route. At the break of his routes, he chops his feet and tends to be predictable on hitches and comebacks.

Conclusion: Carnell Tate is an elite playmaker with sticky hands in contested areas. He is a dangerous route runner who can win at all three levels. His only physical limitation is his lack of top-end speed, but he offsets that with excellent movement skills and long strides that eat up yards.

Best Team Fits: DEN, KC, PIT

Player Comparison: Garrett Wilson

Player Grade: Round 1 (94.2)