An Ohio State wide receiver was selected in the first round of the NFL draft for the sixth time in five years.
The Tennessee Titans selected Carnell Tate with the No. 4 overall pick in Thursday’s first round of the 2026 NFL draft on Thursday, making him the sixth Ohio State receiver drafted in Round 1 since 2022.
Developed Here!! pic.twitter.com/Zj56SNNfpO
— Ryan Day (@ryandaytime) April 24, 2026
Tate was the first Buckeye selected in the 2026 NFL draft. He ties the record for the highest-drafted Ohio State wide receiver ever, previously set by Marvin Harrison Jr. in the 2024 NFL draft.
Ohio State's 2026 NFL Draft Picks
- Carnell Tate: Round 1, No. 4, Tennessee Titans
- Arvell Reese: Round 1, No. 5, New York Giants
- Sonny Styles: Round 1, No. 7, Washington Commanders
- Caleb Downs: Round 1, No. 11, Dallas Cowboys
Tate emerged as one of the best receivers in college football and, in turn, one of the best receiver prospects in the draft across a three-year career with the Buckeyes. He amassed 51 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games as a junior in 2025, landing second-team All-American honors from the Associated Press and first-team All-Big Ten recognition.
Arriving in Columbus as a four-star prospect in the class of 2023, Tate made an impression as a true freshman, collecting 18 receptions for 264 yards and one touchdown. That led to a starting role on Ohio State's 2024 national championship squad, for which he caught 52 passes for 733 yards and four scores despite being the Buckeyes' third option behind star wideouts Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith.
Tate joins Garrett Wilson (No. 10 overall, Jets) and Chris Olave (No. 11 overall, Saints) in 2022, Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 20 overall, Seahawks) in 2023, Harrison (No. 4 overall, Cardinals) in 2024 and Emeka Egbuka (No. 19 overall, Buccaneers) in 2025 as Ohio State wide receivers to be drafted in the first round in the past five years. Jameson Williams also spent three years at Ohio State before finishing his college career at Alabama and being selected No. 12 overall by the Lions in 2022.
Ohio State will almost certainly have another first-round wide receiver in 2027 when Jeremiah Smith becomes draft-eligible.
Tate had visualized being an NFL draft pick since he was a high school football star at IMG Academy. Now, after an excellent Ohio State career in which he persevered through the personal tragedy of losing his mother, Ashley Griggs, in a drive-by shooting, Tate has achieved his dream of playing in the NFL, where he’ll look to make both his family and Ohio State proud.
“I've been through hell and back to be here, and now I'm here. So now it's the next step of my journey,” Tate said.
