$1.6 million WR named No. 1 wide receiver in 2026 NFL draft

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State finished the 2025 season 12–2, went unbeaten in Big Ten regular-season play, and entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 seed. 

Unfortunately, the Buckeyes were eliminated in the CFP quarterfinals at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, losing 24–14 to No. 10 Miami (AT&T Stadium). Miami’s defense forced two key turnovers, including a late interception with under a minute remaining, and held Ohio State scoreless in the fourth quarter.

Despite the disappointing end, junior wide receiver Carnell Tate delivered a career year in Columbus, posting 51 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025, while averaging 17.2 yards per catch.

Across three seasons at Ohio State, Tate has now totaled 1,872 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 121 receptions (15.5 yards per catch), despite splitting snaps with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka during his first two years.

Even so, his breakout 2025 season elevated him among college football’s most marketable athletes, with an NIL valuation around $1.6 million that ranks inside the top 50 nationally.

That rise was reflected on Wednesday when CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson named Tate, who officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft on January 7, the top wide receiver in his 2026 mock draft 5.0, projecting him to be selected No. 5 overall by the New York Giants.

"Tate is a long strider with a big catch radius and reliable hands who makes contested catches downfield look easy," Wilson wrote.

"He flashes quickness and short-area agility to create separation at the top of his route and has the ability to make defenders miss after the catch. His ball-tracking, route-running, and ability to operate in space make him a Day 1 impact player at the next level."

Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) looks on in the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Ohio State has established itself as a pipeline for first-round wide receivers, with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Jaxon Smith-Njigba following in 2023, Harrison Jr. going in 2024, and Egbuka becoming a first-round pick in 2025.

Wilson won Offensive Rookie of the Year and later signed a large extension. Olave earned All-Pro honors in 2025, while Smith-Njigba just earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors after leading the NFL in receiving yards (1,793).

For Tate, the chance to fill these shoes and align himself with other former Buckeyes greats is very strong.

Several mock drafts list the Giants, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals as teams likely to pursue wide receiver help near the top of the 2026 NFL Draft, with additional franchises potentially trading up to secure a premier target like Tate.

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