Carnell Tate ran the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds at the combine on Saturday. Then the Ohio State wide receiver did it again. While still extremely fast for a normal person, it wasn’t a blistering time for a soon-to-be first round draft pick and wasn’t one of the faster times by a receiver at the combine.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane was in the booth with the NFL Network crew when Tate ran his second 40 and immediately went in on Tate, as did many people on social media hoping it would cause him to slide to their team in the draft.
“He’s pretty slow,” said Beane.
“Probably wouldn’t take him early,” Beane continued as everyone started laughing. Buffalo doesn’t pick until late in the first round, so he’s obviously hoping there are some front offices saying that without irony.
“He’s pretty slow I probably wouldn’t take him early”
Bills GM Brandon Beane during Ohio State WR Carnell Tate’s 40-yard dash pic.twitter.com/T0FHxUqFWr
— Underdog (@Underdog) March 1, 2026
In 10 games last season Tate caught 51 passes for 875 yards and scored nine touchdowns. He was second on the team in receptions and receving yards behind Jeremiah Smith who finished sixth in the Heisman race. The season before he was third on the team in both categories behind Smith and Emeka Egbuka.
Tate entered the combine as one of the top skill position players and is expected to go early in round one to a team that needs help at receiver. Even if he ran a little “slow” today, it seems unlikely he drops so Beane may need to do more than deliver one-liners if he wants him.
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