Carnell Tate recently declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. Many teams would love to land the Ohio State wide receiver. The Ringer’s Danny Kelly released a New Orleans Saints mock draft. He has the team taking Lake with the eighth overall pick:
“(Saints head coach) Kellen Moore has done a lot of good things for the Saints offense this year, and the team might just have found a long-term starter in quarterback Tyler Shough. Adding more talent to the team’s receiver group makes a ton of sense. Tate is a silky-smooth route runner with automatic hands and a penchant for winning at the catch point. He’s an excellent complement to Chris Olave and gives New Orleans another playmaker at all three levels.”
The Saints, who finished with a 6-11 record this past season, need all the help they can get.
Saints Mock Draft Has the Team Taking Ohio State Wide Receiver Carnell Tate
Spotlighting His Career
Carnell Tate attended Marist High School in Chicago. After catching 28 passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman, his sophomore season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He then transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Coming out of high school, Tate was a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 22 prospect in the nation. Impressively, he received 37 scholarships from schools such as Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee. He ultimately committed to Ohio State.
Tate finished his freshman year with 18 receptions for 264 yards and a touchdown. His freshman stats were better that frosh year totals of other Ohio State legends like Marvin Harrison Jr. (11 in 2021), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (10 in 2020) and Emeka Egbuka (zero in 2021).
During the 2024 season, Tate started all 15 games, recording 52 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns. He also helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship, beating Notre Dame 34-23 in the title game.
Carnell Tate caugh 51 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Ohio State made the College Football Playoff, but lost to Miami in the quarterfinals.
Should the Saints Draft Him?
Wide receiver is one of the the biggest needs for New Orleans this offseason. Luckily for the Saints, the 2026 draft class is impressive. The group includes talented players like Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, USC’s Makai Lemon, and Washington’s Denzel Boston.
Carnell Tate, though, is the cream of the crop. At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, he possesses great length and body control. He’s also an excellent deep threat who averaged 15.5 yards per catch during his career at Ohio State. In addition, Tate has the ability to bring in tough passes that other receivers fail to secure.
The Saints have a star wide receiver in Chris Olave. This season, he caught 100 passes for 1,163 yards, and nine touchdowns. Those were all career-highs for him. While Olave is phenomenal when healthy, the team lacks receiver depth outside of him.
Tate and fellow Ohio State legend Olave would give New Orleans a dangerous duo. Plus, they could help Tyler Shough develop into an elite quarterback. So yes, the Saints should draft Carnell Tate.
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