The 2026 NFL Draft is less than one month away. Ohio State has been blessed with several talented wide receivers over the past five years. They are even beginning to challenge LSU's status as “WRU” among fans. One recent ranking involving former Buckeye receivers included some surprising decisions.
ESPN's Matt Miller ranked the first-round wide receivers from Ohio State over the past five years in a recent article. He also included Carnell Tate, who is expected to be drafted in the first round of April's draft.
Fans may be surprised that Miller ranked Tate at fourth on his list, ahead of a few established NFL receiver. They include Saints WR Chris Olave at fifth and Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka at sixth.
“Tate's strong hands are a résumé trait. He had only one drop on 67 targets last season, finishing with 51 catches for 875 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games,” Miller wrote. “He is a likely top-10 pick in the upcoming draft and could go as high as No. 5 overall to the Giants.”
Tate certainly has a bright future in the NFL. But placing him above both Olave and Egbuka is a bit of a surprise.
Olave was voted second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press during the 2025 season. He logged 100 receptions for 1,163 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, all career bests for the fourth-year receiver.
Meanwhile, Egbuka burst onto the scene with a strong rookie season in 2025. He was named Rookie of the Year by Sporting News after putting up 63 receptions for 938 receiving yards and six touchdowns for the Buccaneers.
Miller included Marvin Harrison Jr. at the top spot on his list, followed by Jaxon Smith-Njigba in second and Garrett Wilson in third.
This ranking shows just how high Miller is on Tate as a prospect.
