There is one place NFL teams know they can turn when they need wide receivers ready to step on the field and make plays. That place is Ohio State University, where the Buckeyes seem to produce plug-and-play talent every single year.
The Washington Commanders know this better than most. They handed a 3-year, $97 million contract extension to NFL All-Pro and former Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin before this season, and he’s been their best receiver for the better part of the last decade.
One thing McLaurin has never had, however, is another elite wide receiver to play with.
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner predicts the Commanders will change that when they take Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
The Commanders are 3-8 and have lost 6 consecutive games. With a tough schedule still remaining, there’s a good chance that pick could go even higher.
“I’ve had Jordyn Tyson as my WR1 for most of the season, and though I’m still a huge fan, it’s important to note he’s not a lock to claim that spot,” Baumgardner wrote on November 25. “Tyson has missed a lot of time in his career because of injury, including this season. It’s not unlike Puka Nacua’s situation coming out of BYU. Tate, meantime, has been a revelation for the Buckeyes. He gets better every time out.”
Tate Seems Destined as Big Time NFL WR
Tate, 6-foot-3 and 191 pounds, seems like he was built in an NFL wide receiver lab … which Ohio State essentially is.
When the former 5-star recruit from Chicago inevitably leaves for the NFL draft after this season, he will have spent each of his first 3 seasons playing alongside multiple first round picks and holding his own — No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. as a true freshman in 2023, No. 19 overall pick and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite Emeka Egbuka in 2024 and potential 2026 No. 1 overall pick Jeremiah Smith the last 2 seasons.
In 2024, Tate had 52 receptions for 733 yards and 4 touchdowns as he helped lead Ohio State to the College Football Playoff National Championship.
In 2025, he had 39 receptions for 711 yards and 7 touchdowns in the first 8 games but has sat out the last 3 games with an undisclosed lower body injury.
Commanders Could Spin Lost Season Into Draft Gold
The Commanders did not anticipate having a Top 10 pick in 2026. Not after finishing 12-5 in 2024 and making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991.
Poor offseason decisions and injuries to McLaurin and quarterback Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, took the air out of a team looked at as Super Bowl contenders this year.
What will be a favorable schedule in 2026 along with another high draft pick could get Washington back in the mix pretty quickly.
“Carnell Tate is WR1 in the 2026 NFL Draft, and it’s not close,” Fox Sports College Football Analyst R.J. Young wrote on his official X account.
“I’ve scarcely seen a WR as good as Carnell Tate is at these two things: Stemming DBs on the vertical plane (and) Converting on under-thrown balls that re-enter DB range,” NFL Draft Analyst Ian Cummings wrote on X. “His reliability can be quantified as elite. Such a savvy, sound player.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Commanders Predicted to Add ‘Revelation’ Big Ten Wide Receiver appeared first on Heavy Sports.