Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
The battle for the top wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft is going to kick into high gear soon as the NFL Scouting Combine approaches. The two contenders: Arizona State wideout Jordyn Tyson and Ohio State’s Carnell Tate are both players that are realistic options for the New Orleans Saints at No. 8 overall.
Tate is surging while Tyson’s injury concerns go under a microscope with medical checks soon to be conducted at the Combine as well as on Top-30 visits with various teams. For my first scouting report through a Saints lens, the focus will be on Tate, who is a playmaking, big-bodied and physical player with deep threat ability that would be a perfect complement to the Saints’ offense and quarterback Tyler Shough.
Ohio State WR Carnell Tate
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-3 (listed)
Weight: 195 pounds (listed)
Tate spent all three of his collegiate years with the Ohio State Buckeyes working with elite wide receiver talents like Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith. His ball skills, body control, contested catch ability and big play generation are all the key elements that make him an elite prospect as well despite not having put up a 1,000-yard receiving season in his collegiate career.
2025 Stats
Catches: 51
Receiving yards:875
Receiving TDs: 9
Yard per catch: 17.2
Yards per route run: 3.02 (fourth in 2026 WR class)
Drops: 0
Pros
+ Tate’s ball skills are incredibly impressive. He tracks passes cleanly in incredibly tough situations, wins consistently in contested opportunities and has shown a penchant for focus under pressure and in traffic.
+ His hands are among the most reliable in the class. He did not register a single drop in 2025 and has only been notched with five in his collegiate career for a scant drop percentage of 4%.
+ Tate thrives in the deep area of the field where Shough and head coach Kellen Moore found a lot of success despite recent NFL trends last year. He reeled in 11 of his 17 deep targets in 2025, per Pro Football Focus (PFF) including six of his nine touchdown scores.
+ He is also very effective in the middle of the field and in the intermediate area (between 10 and 19 yards downfield) as well. He caught 12 of 17 of his passes in that area.
+ All nine of his touchdown receptions were on plays of 10 or more yards.
+ Tate operates with great football IQ knowing how to use his matchup’s leverage to his advantage and does a great job selling before his breaks at the tops of routes, creating separation.
+ He plays with a physical demeanor in the blocking game, making him a trustworthy blocker on the outside.
Cons
– He doesn’t have elite-level breakaway speed, but runs well enough to maintain separation that he creates with crafty route running.
– He isn’t a dynamic yards after catch threat from an elusive or game-breaking standpoint but does a good job getting north and south quickly after the catch to extend yardage where possible. He isn’t afraid of contact in the meanwhile.
– Tate can round off routes from time to time as opposed to crisp and sudden cuts.
The Bottom Line
I think Tate would be an excellent addition to the Saints’ offense. He would operate well as a complement to established wideout Chris Olave while expanding on the things that ascending pass-catcher Devaughn Vele found success with in 2025. He has the catch radius, big-play potential and secure hands to make any young quarterback feel comfortable and can add another layer of playmaking to the group.
Tate is undoubtedly a first-round talent and should be in consideration with the No. 8 overall pick with a chance to bolster his stock at the NFL Scouting Combine.
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