Predicting the New York Jets’ selections on draft night has been a losing game. Just ask anyone who tried to explain a first-round fullback (Roger Vick) in 1987 and a second-round kicker in 2005 (Mike Nugent).
Fast forward to 2026, and it appears their decision at No. 2 is pretty straightforward with Ohio State edge defender Arvell Reese widely expected to be the pick.
However, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah claims the Jets could be eyeing another Buckeye in that spot.
“One of the things I have heard is don’t rule out Carnell Tate,” Jeremiah said during his appearance on The New York Post’s “Schien Time” with host Adam Schien.
As Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania pointed out, selecting Tate at No. 2 would be an outside-the-box pick by Gang Green.
When stacking this year’s wide receiver class against the college indicators that tend to translate to NFL success, Tate lands in rare territory.
His resume clears the preferred thresholds in all four key areas closely tied to first-round production at the next level: yards per route, overall Pro Football Focus grade, contested-catch rate, and a minimal share of behind-the-line-of-scrimmage targets.
Since 2018, only three receivers alongside Tate have checked those boxes: Ja’Marr Chase and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Entering this year’s draft, wide receiver is one of the Jets’ most pressing needs.
Beyond Garrett Wilson, the position is filled with a bunch of question marks, just like last season.
Wilson has been the only pillar of consistency, topping 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons. He led the team in receiving last year as well. However, he appeared in only seven games and posted 396 yards.
That speaks volumes regarding how weak the room was.
Currently ranked No. 8 overall on the Mock Draft Database consensus big board, Tate profiles as the perfect complement to Wilson, largely due to his ability to stretch the field.
On 17 targets of 20-plus yards during the 2025 season, Carnell Tate turned deep shots into production, hauling in 11 receptions for 453 yards and six touchdowns.
The damage didn’t stop there.
Five of his nine total scores came from 40 yards out or longer, underscoring a rare ability to flip the field in an instant and dominate defenses over the top.
Carnell Tate’s big-play ability makes him an ideal fit for the New York Jets’ offense and certainly a candidate worthy of the No. 2 pick.
The question is whether the Jets would pass on an edge player with the upside of Arvell Reese to make it happen.