The New Orleans Saints have had a ton of success with Ohio State Buckeyes players over the last two years. This is particularly true with the NFL Draft. In the last 17 years, the Saints have drafted six Ohio State players in the first or second round. A total of 11 Buckeyes have been drafted by New Orleans in the last 25 years, with several others added as free agent contributors in recent seasons. Wide receivers Michael Thomas and Chris Olave have had tremendous success as New Orleans draft picks in recent years.

Olave is in line for a contract extension with the Saints this offseason. New Orleans is also looking to pair Olave with another playmaking wideout. They’ll probably do so early in the 2026 NFL Draft, where another Buckeye will be an early pick.

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Carnell Tate bio

College: Ohio State Buckeyes

40-yard dash: 4.53 seconds

10-yard split: 1.61 seconds

After starring at Marist High School in Illinois, Carnell Tate closed out the final two years of his high school career at the famed IMG Academy in Florida. The five-star recruit landed with the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he was among an immensely talented receiver group. Still, Tate caught 18 passes for 264 yards and a score as a freshman in 2023. Tate had a more prominent role in 2024 for the national champion Buckeyes. He pulled in 52 receptions for 733 yards and 4 touchdowns that season, finishing third on the team in all three categories.

While Tate still played second fiddle to Jeremiah Smith in 2025, he was still a valuable weapon for a team that lost just two games. He contributed 51 catches and 875 yards, scoring 9 touchdowns. Tate looks to be following in the footsteps of Olave, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Emeka Egbuka as Ohio State wideouts drafted in the first round over the previous four years.

Strengths

Outstanding route precision

Disguises breaks like a seasoned Pro Bowler

Accelerates into patterns to set up fakes

Excels in a full route tree

Consistently wins contested throws

Good awareness for open spots in zones

Gets open when a play breaks down

High points balls with exceptional timing

Adjusts to off-target throws well

Shows an extra gear down the field

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Weaknesses

Doesn’t have outstanding athleticism

Has never been his team’s featured receiver

May need to add bulk for NFL rigors

Can struggle to shake press

Needs to be more physical at catch point and in high-traffic areas

Not a major threat after the catch

Carnell Tate 2026 draft outlook

Tate will follow Wilson, Olave, Smith-Njigba, Harrison, and Egbuka as a first round pick. He could be the first receiver chosen and will almost certainly be a top-10 selection. The fact that he’s never been a featured receiver could be a small concern to a wideout-needy team, but he has all the abilities to develop into one.

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein has compared Carnell Tate to Chris Olave. Both players have very similar attributes. The Saints would have to draft Tate with the eighth overall pick if they wanted him, but he would be a strong addition to their offense. If Tate is anywhere near as successful as Olave has been in the NFL, then the Saints would have a terrific receiver combo for quarterback Tyler Shough and their offense.

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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Scouting Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate for Saints