INDIANAPOLIS — The stopwatches clicked, and a collective murmur rolled through the stands at Lucas Oil Stadium. Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate posted a 4.53-second 40-yard dash on Saturday, officially making him the eighth-slowest receiver in his class. But don’t let the clock fool you. The Carnell Tate 2026 NFL Draft stock remains bulletproof.
Tate stumbled slightly on his initial break. He didn’t get called back. He kept his feet driving and managed a 4.54 on the botched run, trimming it down to 4.53 on his second attempt. Even with a time that won’t break any speed records, the consensus around the league hasn’t flinched.
Speed kills, but elite route-running pays the bills. Tate capped his final run with the Buckeyes with nine touchdown receptions, pulling down 51 catches for 875 yards. That production secures his spot as the premier pass-catcher in this cycle.
Daniel Jeremiah bumped Tate up two spots on his updated big board. He now sits at No. 7 overall. Mel Kiper Jr. hears rumblings that the Cleveland Browns, armed with two first-round picks, plan to snatch Tate at No. 6. If he slips past the top ten, Bleacher Report’s scouting department expects the Los Angeles Rams to run his card up to the podium at No. 13.
Here is exactly how Tate measured up in Indy:
The Pittsburgh Steelers hold the No. 21 overall pick. On paper, they are out of the sweepstakes. Yet, Tate formally met with Pittsburgh brass this weekend. The appeal? A chance to catch passes from his former Ohio State national championship quarterback, Will Howard, who just wrapped his rookie year in Pittsburgh.
You could hear the genuine nostalgia in Tate’s voice when he talked about his old quarterback. Behind the multimillion-dollar draft grades, these guys just miss playing ball with their friends.
“Will’s my guy. All me and Will do is joke around with each other. We call each other, we make fun of each other. So, yeah, it’s a great relationship with Will. I miss him. It would be great to catch passes from Will. I’ve done it before so we’d go out there and continue to laugh and joke with each other.”
— Carnell Tate, Ohio State Wide Receiver
If Omar Khan wants to reunite the former Buckeyes at Acrisure Stadium, the Steelers cannot wait until pick No. 21. They have to trade up. Cleveland breathing down everyone’s necks at No. 6 sets a hard ceiling on how far Tate will fall. Pittsburgh needs to package premium draft capital to vault into the top 10.
Watch the trade market explode over the next four weeks. General managers know Tate possesses the exact blend of size and catching radius to instantly elevate an NFL offense, 40-time be damned. The draft board is officially on notice.
