Saints’ Kellen Moore Reveals True Thoughts on Carnell Tate

If you have been following along with the New Orleans Saints throughout the offseason, one thing that you've likely seen is a lot of mock drafts for the franchise for the No. 8 pick in the first round of the draft.

For the Saints, if they can come away from the first round of the 2026 National Football League Draft with a wide receiver or cornerback with the No. 8 pick in the first round, they're going to be just fine. Fortunately, there will be options that fit both of these positions.

One who has been consistently mocked by the Saints is Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate. It doesn't hurt that he also has specifically talked about wanting to come to New Orleans to play with Tyler Shough.

The Saints need a wide receiver

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate (WO37) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, Saints head coach Kellen Moore joined "Up & Adams" with Kay Adams to discuss a wide range of topics, including specifically Tate.

"We're getting to know a lot of these receivers and so he's obviously one of the top ones in this draft," Moore said. "Any time you get a guy from Ohio State, as we know, Chris Olave, you're going to get a really good football player. And so, he's obviously performed really well up there in Columbus for a number of years. We've had conversations with him, as we've had with a bunch of these guys. It will be a fun process."

I asked Kellen Moore about WR Carnell Tate.

Saints fans you tell me 🤷🏻‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/n1yy24VHsT
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) April 1, 2026

There was a lot of chatter after the combine about Tate's 40-yard dash time. His official time came in at 4.53, which is completely fine. The chatter around his 40-yard dash was certainly overblown.

Moore was asked about Tate's 40-yard dash and also shut the idea down of concern.

"I think he's good," Moore said when asked about the 40-yard dash time. "He's a good player. You can look at all of the statistics. While the top-end speed is really beneficial, there's plenty of guys who have 40s that look like that across our league that are some of the top players in the league."

So, there you have it, Saints fans. It sounds like Moore likes Tate, but it's not necessarily only up to him whether or not the Ohio State product will land in New Orleans. There are seven picks ahead of the Saints in the first round, starting with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Raiders are expected to take Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana. If that happens, six non-quarterbacks are likely to be picked. If Tate can make it to No. 8, he would be a great pick. But he's arguably the top receiver prospect in the draft class and there are more teams than just New Orleans that need a playmaker.