{"id":661817,"date":"2026-01-07T18:54:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T18:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/661817\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T18:54:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T18:54:12","slug":"ohio-state-stars-carnell-tate-caleb-downs-declare-for-2026-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/661817\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio State stars Carnell Tate, Caleb Downs declare for 2026 NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ohio State junior wide receiver Carnell Tate announced Tuesday night that he will enter the 2026 NFL Draft<\/a>. On Wednesday morning, his Buckeyes teammate, All-American junior safety Caleb Downs, joined him in forgoing his remaining college eligibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a lot of prayer and reflection, I have decided to declare for the NFL Draft,\u201d Downs wrote in a statement released via social media. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for this chapter and proud to forever be a Buckeye.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both players could be top-10 \u2014 potentially, even top-five \u2014 picks come Round 1 on April 23. Tate (6 feet 3, 190 pounds) ranked No. 10 on Dane Brugler\u2019s midseason draft board<\/a>, and he was the No. 5 pick (New York Giants) in Nick Baumgardner\u2019s post-NFL regular season mock draft<\/a>. Combined over the past two seasons, Tate posted 103 receptions for 1,608 yards and 13 touchdowns, all while playing alongside WR Jeremiah Smith, who likely will open the 2027 draft cycle as the top prospect in that class.<\/p>\n

pic.twitter.com\/sWFC1aBGej<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Carnell Tate (@carnelltate_) January 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Ohio State has produced at least one first-round receiver in each of the past four drafts, and it had two first-rounders selected at the position in 2022 (Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave).<\/p>\n

Downs (6-0, 205) ranked No. 3 on Brugler\u2019s board, and he was the No. 8 pick (New Orleans Saints) in that recent mock. The ninth-place finisher in this year\u2019s Heisman Trophy voting, Downs had 150 tackles, four interceptions and eight passes defended in two years with the Buckeyes after a 107-tackle season as a freshman at Alabama in 2023.<\/p>\n

Ohio State edge Arvell Reese, who could be in contention to be the top pick in this year\u2019s draft, has yet to announce his plans. It is widely believed, however, that he will join Downs and Tate in heading to the NFL.<\/p>\n

Downs\u2019 NFL Draft outlook<\/p>\n

Arguably the best pound-for-pound football player in the 2026 NFL Draft class, Downs has been an on-field dynamo since starting as a true freshman at Alabama for Nick Saban. His presence as a literal do-everything defensive back changed Ohio State\u2019s defense and was a critical factor in the Buckeyes\u2019 national title run last season.<\/p>\n

An outstanding tackler, Downs attacks downhill in the run game like a linebacker, and does so from basically anywhere on the field. Though he\u2019s a terrific all-around athlete, Downs\u2019 biggest asset might be his football IQ \u2014 he\u2019s shown an ability to impact the game from various alignments, regardless of the opponent, throughout his brilliant three-year college career.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a top-three prospect in this class on talent alone, but, as always with players at his position, his ultimate draft range is uncertain. \u2014 Nick Baumgardner<\/p>\n

Tate\u2019s NFL Draft outlook<\/p>\n

Nobody is better than Ohio State at finding big receivers who run like small receivers. Smith is the Buckeyes\u2019 current powerhouse prospect, but Tate was a bit of a revelation opposite him.<\/p>\n

A big player with strong, fast hands, Tate can bend and sink into breaks with a smoothness not often seen in players his size. He is very explosive, a sharp cutter in space and elite in the air. Tate had 14 contested-catch opportunities this past season and came down with a reception on 12 of them.<\/p>\n

Tate firmly belong in the discussion for WR1, along with Arizona State\u2019s Jordyn Tyson and USC\u2019s Makai Lemon, both of whom declared for the draft<\/a> last month.\u00a0\u2014 Baumgardner<\/p>\n