Ranking Ohio State's first-round receivers since 2022: How does Carnell Tate stack up?
Matt MillerMar 25, 2026, 06:40 AM ET Close Matt Miller is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. A Missouri native, Matt joined ESPN in 2021 and also contributes to SportsCenter, NFL Live and ESPN Radio. Prior to joining ESPN, Matt spent 11 years as a senior…
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Matt Miller
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Ohio State has become a gold mine for NFL scouts looking for elite wide receiver prospects. In the past four NFL drafts dating to 2022, five Buckeyes wideouts have been drafted in the first round. That’s the most WRs to go in Round 1 from one school over a four-year period since Alabama had five go between 2020-23, per ESPN Research.
The 2026 draft will add another in Carnell Tate. He is projected to be a top-10 pick and is arguably the WR1 in the class. And we should have yet another in 2027, when Jeremiah Smith is likely to be a top-five selection and could even be the first WR selected No. 1 overall since Keyshawn Johnson in 1996.
Quality wide receiver play isn’t new at Ohio State. Besides recent non-first-round hits such as Michael Thomas (2016) and Terry McLaurin (2019), Buckeyes alums include Hall of Famer Cris Carter, Joey Galloway, Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn Jr. But it was this current run of highly touted OSU receivers turning into high-end professionals that prompted me to go back and look at our predraft notes on each player and rank them based on what they were as prospects coming out of Columbus.
This isn’t taking NFL production or potential into account — only the player’s predraft report. But I also talked to a handful of NFL scouts, coaches and general managers to get their takes. I included my predraft rankings for the specific draft classes they were each in.
It should be no surprise who’s at the top (for now), but the rest of the list is a fascinating and fun look at Ohio State’s wide receiver pipeline. Where does Tate — who will work out at the Buckeyes’ pro day Wednesday — fit in? Could he be the next great OSU pass catcher? Let’s rank him against the five recent first-rounders.
Jump to a receiver:
Egbuka | Harrison | Olave
Smith-Njigba | Tate | Wilson
Predraft ranking: No. 2 overall, WR1
Drafted: No. 4, Arizona Cardinals
Harrison was regarded as an elite generational talent when he left Ohio State following a three-year career in which he accumulated 155 catches, 2,613 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns. After breaking out as a freshman with three touchdowns in the 2022 Rose Bowl, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Harrison was a unanimous All-American as a sophomore and junior and won the Biletnikoff Award in 2023. He was the first non-quarterback selected in 2024.
Harrison was praised as a professional wide receiver with elite route running and strong hands. There were concerns surrounding his lack of yards-after-catch ability, along with a predraft process that saw him sit out of traditional testing at the NFL combine and his pro day. But I saw a WR with “excellent body control, breakaway speed and a savvy understanding of the wideout position,” as I wrote in my final scouting report.
In his two seasons as a pro, Harrison has not yet lived up to his predraft expectations, catching just 103 passes for 1,493 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns over that time. He missed five games due to a heel injury in 2025.
“I’m shocked he’s not an All-Pro yet,” an AFC scout said.
Predraft ranking: No. 5 overall, WR1
Drafted: No. 20, Seattle Seahawks
I didn’t go with the consensus prior to the 2023 draft, ranking Smith-Njigba as my top wide receiver — ahead of Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison — and the No. 5 overall player on my board. My faith has paid off; JSN broke out as one of the league’s best receivers last season, leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards. He had 119 catches and 10 touchdowns en route to NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. He was rewarded with a four-year, $168.6 million extension on Monday, the highest ever for a wide receiver.
The 6-foot, 197-pounder was knocked by some evaluators as a “slot-only” prospect due to his limited size and average speed, but his ability to get open as a route runner stood out. I loved his quickness in and out of his breaks and overall body control.
“He was the most polished receiver of the group [dating to 2022] and could teach a clinic on route running and leverage,” said an NFL general manager.
Smith-Njigba jumped onto the draft radar as a sophomore in 2021, with 95 catches for 1,606 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. That included seven games with more than 100 receiving yards and an incredible Rose Bowl performance against Utah in which he caught 15 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Despite being limited to three games in 2022 because of a hamstring injury, Smith-Njigba’s tape showed a well-rounded, do-it-all receiver ready for the NFL. And that dominant Rose Bowl helped convince scouts he was the game-changer that he turned out to be in the league.
Predraft ranking: No. 12 overall, WR3
Drafted: No. 10, New York Jets
Wilson and teammate Chris Olave started the current run of superstar Buckeyes receivers. The 6-foot, 183-pound Wilson wowed at the combine with a 4.38-second time in the 40-yard-dash that cemented his stock as a top-15 prospect. It was the cherry on top of three seasons in Columbus that saw him emerge as an ace yards-after-catch player with great play strength on a smaller frame. Wilson left Ohio State with 23 career touchdowns, highlighted by a breakout junior season in 2021; he had 70 receptions for 1,058 receiving yards and 12 scores that year despite sharing the target load with Olave and Smith-Njigba.
“Wilson would be WR2 on my personal board based on predraft rankings … he was so good at 50-50 balls and fought his butt off with the ball in his hands. You don’t see many smaller guys do that,” an NFC South scout said.
Wilson ripped off three straight 1,000-yard seasons for the Jets to start his career. In 2024, he hauled in 101 passes for 1,104 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, but he missed nine games in 2025 due to a hyperextended knee in October and a sprain to that knee in November.
Current ranking: No. 9 overall, WR2
Best team fits: New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins
Like several receivers on this list, Tate was never the No. 1 target in Columbus. Even in his final season, he was the secondary option behind Jeremiah Smith. But he has been able to impress in a No. 2 role with his routes, toughness and ability to play above the rim.
“You watch his route running and his body control, and tell me that’s not Justin Jefferson at LSU,” said an NFC area scout.
Tate wins like Jefferson does — with timing, body control and quick cuts that allow him to separate with or without the ball. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Tate plays much bigger than his listed size, too.
“He high-points so well. The first time I saw him play I thought he must be 6-foot-4 with his length and vertical ability,” said the same scout.
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. He is a likely top-10 pick in the upcoming draft and could go as high as No. 5 overall to the Giants.
Predraft ranking: No. 15 overall, WR4
Drafted: No. 11, New Orleans Saints
I consider Olave a personal miss, as I had him lower in my predraft rankings than most. He tested much better than I expected at the 2022 combine, highlighted by his 4.39 40-yard dash. At 6-foot, 187 pounds, Olave was seen by scouts as an NFL-ready route runner with good vertical speed and exceptionally smooth movements throughout the route tree.
The knock on Olave at the time was how much space was afforded to receivers in Ohio State’s scheme. But he scored 35 touchdowns in four seasons with the Buckeyes, and he had three years of more than 700 receiving yards and at least 49 catches.
“I didn’t think [Olave] was tough enough to hang with NFL corners,” an AFC East scout said — a sentiment that matches my predraft notes.
Olave quickly made his mark in New Orleans, though. In four NFL seasons, he has caught 291 passes for 19 touchdowns and is coming off his best season in 2025 (100 catches, 1,163 receiving yards and nine scores). My colleague Mel Kiper Jr. actually has Tate joining Olave in New Orleans in his recent 2026 mock draft.
Predraft ranking: No. 23 overall, WR4
Drafted: No. 19, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Egbuka left Ohio State after four seasons, three of which he served as the team’s No. 2 wide receiver. He was widely praised by scouts in the predraft process for his toughness, leadership and team-first mentality. A captain for the Buckeyes’ 2024 national championship squad, Egbuka was fearless over the middle and in traffic despite being just 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds. And like many of the receivers on this list, he was a polished route runner with sure hands.
In three years as a starter, he produced two seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards and had 24 touchdowns on 196 catches.
“He was one of my favorite players to watch last year,” an NFL general manager said. “I was pissed when he went to Tampa because it’s such a great fit for his skills.”
Egbuka produced immediately as a rookie, with 63 receptions for 938 receiving yards and six touchdowns. With Mike Evans signing with the 49ers as a free agent this offseason, Egbuka is on track to be the Buccaneers’ No. 1 receiver in 2026.
