Why Carnell Tate's NFL comparison to Justin Jefferson isn't too far off

Ohio State's offensive standout is expected to be selected very high in the upcoming NFL Draft

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) celebrates a touchdown catch during the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the most interesting aspects of the NFL Draft cycle are the player comparisons that always pop up between the incoming prospects and -- in most cases -- well established veterans.

In the case of Ohio State’s star wide receiver Carnell Tate, it can’t get much better than what was recently written about him on ESPN.

Tate, a prospect who most expect to be in the running for the top wide receiver taken in next year’s draft, was recently compared to the Minnesota Vikings’ All-World wideout Justin Jefferson by ESPN’s Matt Miller.

“Carnell Tate to Justin Jefferson. I know, I know ... this sounds wild. But it's on point when comparing Tate to what Jefferson was at LSU -- not what he is doing now in the NFL. Both are 6-foot-3 and around 200 pounds. They each excelled as route runners while also being dominant on 50-50 balls thanks to vertical skills and body-adjustment ability. I'm not predicting Tate will take the NFL by storm and become a top player as quickly as Jefferson did, but their skill sets are very similar when evaluating where they were entering the draft.”

Anytime you get compared to arguably the best receiver in football, you know you’re going the right path, which is somewhat surprising for Tate, since he’s not even the best wideout on his team, currently.

That distinction would actually be bestowed on his teammate Jeremiah Smith, who can’t make the jump to the NFL Draft until next year.

Nonetheless, Tate has been nothing short of spectacular this season for the Buckeyes, by any standard.

He’s caught 44 passes for 793 yards and eight touchdowns so far this year, despite missing some time with nagging injuries. As a 1-2 punch with Smith, there’s no doubt that Ohio State has the best receiving duo in the nation, with both Tate and Smith named as semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, and Smith subsequently being included among the three finalists.

While Jefferson did have to wait until the 22nd pick as the fifth wideout picked in the 2020 NFL Draft, he wasted no time in confirming the Minnesota Vikings had an instant hit on their hands.

If the similarities that Miller sees between them hold true, Tate should have no problem in contributing right away for an NFL franchise, though it’s very probable that he won’t have to wait as long as Jefferson did to be selected.