When it comes to the wide receiver position, Ohio State has forged arguably the strongest pipeline to the NFL. Clearly, the Tennessee Titans want what comes next.
The Titans selected Buckeyes wideout Carnell Tate No. 4 overall in this year’s NFL Draft on Thursday in a major surprise. Many mock drafts had them going either on the defensive side of the ball or for Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who was selected on pick earlier.
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When Tate heard his name called in Pittsburgh, he became Ohio State’s sixth wideout drafted in the first round in the past five years.
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That group also includes Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Wilson and Olave went back-to-back in the 2022 draft, with the New York Jets taking Wilson No. 10 overall, and the New Orleans Saints scooping up Olave with the 11th pick that year. The following year, in 2023, Smith-Njigba was the first receiver off the board but fell to No. 20, landing with the Seattle Seahawks. In 2024, the Arizona Cardinals grabbed Harrison with pick No. 4. Last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added Egbuka to their receiving corps with the 19th selection in the draft.
Not only was Smith-Njigba WR1 in his class, but so was Harrison. Tate now files into that category, too, meaning Ohio State has accounted for the top wideout drafted in three of the past four years.
Perhaps similar to Egbuka, who shared the spotlight in Columbus with Harrison and then wunderkind Jeremiah Smith (who’s poised to be on this list next year), Tate was in a loaded offense that, even in his best season with the team, still starred Smith.
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Tate never reached the single-season 1,000-yard receiving mark in his three seasons with the Buckeyes, but he caught at least 50 balls in both his sophomore and junior campaigns, clearing the 700-yard receiving barrier in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
During the 2024 season, Tate helped Ohio State win a national championship, notably reeling in seven passes for 87 yards in a Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal victory over Texas. Last season, Tate especially showed what kind of downfield threat he can be, bringing down 11 passes of 20-plus air yards, according to Pro Football Focus. For reference, just two other Big Ten receivers piled up more of those during the 2025 campaign, and one of them was his teammate, Smith, who had 12, per PFF.
Tate ranked that high despite missing three games with a lower-body injury. In the 11 games he played last season, he registered 51 receptions as well as a career-high 875 receiving yards and 9 receiving touchdowns.
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Tate didn’t run the fastest 40 in Indianapolis earlier this year — in fact, his 4.53 at the NFL combine turned some heads for the wrong reason — but his speed on tape is convincing. He’s regarded as a consistent and reliable route runner who adjusts well to the ball and has impressive body control and, as a result, a knack for making his quarterback look good.
Now he’s also known as a first-round pick, Ohio State’s latest at the wide receiver position.
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