Why Giants, Carnell Tate Union Would Make for a Great Fit

The New York Giants offense might not have shown everything in 2025, but they did show some flashes of being explosive during the first season with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart under center.

Head coach John Harbaugh has made it clear since taking over the job as the main man of the organization that he wants that aspect to continue by building upon the pieces already in place--which include Dart, phenom wide receiver Malik Nabers, and hard-nose running back Cam Skattebo--in order to form a huddle that can punch the scoreboard far more often.

The Giants spent a good portion of their cap space on adding valuable playmakers to Dart's arsenal in free agency.

They lost their slot receiver Wan'Dale Robinson, who chose to sign a big deal with the Tennessee Titans, yet responded by replacing him with tight end Isaiah Likely and two speedy targets in Calvin Austin III and Darnell Mooney to boost the unit.

The one question that remains is whether the Giants are satisfied with the moves they have made to surround Dart with pass catchers who can stretch the field, connect on his deep shots, and put opposing defenses on their heels next season?

Despite ensuring the position group has more adequate depth to account for injuries and lack of sufficient production that marred them last fall, there are some draft analysts who still believe that New York should tag another premier receiver to pair with Dart in 2026.

One being FOX Sports's own Joel Klatt, who is backing one notable draft prospect as the ideal fit with whom he thinks would make a great fit in the Giants offense: Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate.

"I think there's gonna be some debate between Makai Lemon and Carnell Tate, but I think it's really about fit."

More from @joelklatt on his projected top WR off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft, and why it's the best fit for New York. pic.twitter.com/A4CTZS0QYE
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) March 16, 2026

"Jaxson Dart wants to sling it down the field, and Carnell Tate is my No. 1 wide receiver on the board," Klatt said on a recent episode of the Joel Klatt Show.

"He also happens to excel down the field, in particular 50/50 situations, so Carnell Tate is going to be the pick here for me at number five.”

Tate could provide both short-and long-term value to the Giants

Losing Nabers just four weeks into the regular season, when he suffered a season-ending ACL tear against the Los Angeles Chargers, was undoubtedly a huge back breaker for the Giants' offense, and, at first glance, the early development of Dart, as many were eager to see, as Nabers' reliability would positively influence his progression.

It wasn't just the abundance of production that Nabers could create on the football field that the Giants had to replace, and did via the heroics of Wan’Dale Robinson, who surprisingly stepped up into the No. 1 role and overcame his size to author an astounding season with 92 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns.

The rest of the Giants' receiver room didn't bring the same level of consistency that was needed in the biggest moments of games throughout the season. All of their other targets posted PFF receiving grades under 69.8 in 2025 and they produced 17 drops and 9 targets resulting in turnovers.

While the Giants still finished the season ranked 21st in receiving yards and 17th in points per game behind Dart, who also ranked 13th among quarterbacks in deep pass attempts last season, they didn't have the right mix of weapons that could fully capitalize on his budding skill set.

Dipping into the 2026 college pool's small core of elite receivers is likely the best route for the franchise to add another puzzle piece to what Harbaugh hopes will be a more vertical, explosive huddle that impacts winning on Sundays.

If they somehow stumble upon a dilemma with their options at No. 5, Klatt insists again that the answer lies in fit, not purely in the basic stats of one player's resume.

"It's not just about who is the better player at that position...it's about personnel fit, philosophy of system, and mostly what does your quarterback do well and what would he thrive with?" he said.

"We saw that with [Seahawks wide receiver] Jaxson Smith-Njigba and [quarterback] Sam Darnold in Seattle this year, where all of a sudden those two clicked, and the same can be said for here for Tate and Jaxson Dart. I think it's a great marriage and a great fit for the Giants."

Will the Giants agree that Tate is the best option at No. 5?

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) celebrates a touchdown Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A lot still has to be determined within the current offensive huddle before the Giants reach their ultimate decision on night one of the draft, including finding out more on the status of Nabers, who is expected to attend the team's voluntary offseason program that gets underway next week.

How the board falls will also play a significant role regarding the direction the Giants take.

If the other names are gone from the list and Tate is still available at No. 5, it'll be interesting to see if they agree with Klatt's logic on the best receiver fit and pair their second-year gunslinger with Tate on the perimeter.

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