Ohio State has become the undisputed wide receiver factory of college football. And while the rest of the country watches Jeremiah Smith’s alien athleticism, another Buckeye receiver has quietly positioned himself as the next first-rounder headed to the NFL. Carnell Tate has completely transformed his draft stock in 2025. And according to ESPN’s Field Yates, he might be joining Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns as the No. 4 pick.

“The Browns will likely have conversations about the quarterback position, but Shedeur Sanders‘ growth in three games as the starter has been encouraging,” wrote Yates. “And in this scenario, the two clear-cut best signal-callers in my rankings are off the board. But the Browns also have work to do within the offensive supporting cast, including at offensive tackle and wide receiver. Tate is the next first-round lock from the Ohio State receiver room, and he would be awesome in the Cleveland pass game.”

Tate has emerged as a legitimate WR1 in his own right. It will give the Browns the offensive firepower they’ve desperately lacked all season. No Browns wide receiver has even reached 40 catches or 500 receiving yards this year. So, it’s time for an upgrade, indeed.​

Yates dropped his first 2026 mock draft this week and made a fascinating call for the Browns at No. 4 overall. Shedeur Sanders’ growth over his first three starts as a rookie has been encouraging enough to shift the team’s focus toward building around him rather than replacing him. Carnell Tate’s rise from underachieving five-star recruit to potential top-five pick has been one of the best stories of the 2025 college football season. After posting solid but unspectacular numbers as a sophomore, Tate entered 2025 needing to prove he could be “the guy.”

He’s answered emphatically, surpassing his 2024 touchdown total in just seven games and setting a career high in yardage after just nine games. Through the regular season and into the playoff push, Tate has racked up 48 catches for 838 yards and seven touchdowns. This included four games with over 100 receiving yards. 

Ohio State coach Ryan Day praised Tate for doing “a lot of the dirty work,” which helps the offense, especially Jeremiah Smith. His seven-catch, 87-yard performance in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Texas demonstrated his ability to show up in the biggest moments.​

CBS Sports ranks Tate as the No. 6 overall prospect and the No. 2 receiver in the 2026 class. He’s generating 1.2 EPA per target and an incredible 27.98% catch rate over expectation. The list of Ohio State receivers currently dominating the NFL is long (Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr.). And Tate is absolutely next in line to join that illustrious group.​

Another Buckeye in the top five

If you’re keeping track at home, that’s two Ohio State players projected in the top five picks of Field Yates’ first 2026 mock draft. Arvell Reese, the explosive edge rusher who completely transformed his game this season, is slotted to go third overall to the Tennessee Titans in Yates’ projection. 

While Carnell Tate gets the spotlight as the next Buckeyes receiver destined for the first round, Reese might actually have a case as “the best overall prospect in this entire draft class,” according to Yates’ scouting report. That’s high praise for a guy who posted just 0.5 sacks last season. But his move to edge rusher in 2025 unleashed something special. 

He’s racked up 6.5 sacks this year with what Yates describes as “exceptional burst and power, plus the frame to be a standout NFL edge rusher.” The Titans are one of only two teams with a better than 5% chance at the No. 1 pick that aren’t in the quarterback market. This means they can afford to take the best player available regardless of position.​

The Titans watched the Giants likely solve their edge rusher needs by landing Abdul Carter in the 2025 draft. And now they have a chance to get their own version in Reese. Pairing him alongside defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons would give the Titans a legitimate foundation to build their defense around for the next decade.