For most of the pre-draft process, Ohio State star Carnell Tate was penciled in as the No. 1 wide receiver in the class. He doesn't bring the injury concerns that come with Jordyn Tyson, or the character red flags Makai Lemon reportedly showed in some of his interviews.
However, those who fixate on numbers and measurements may not be as bullish on Tate anymore. He was clocked at an unofficial 4.52-second 40-yard dash, which is admittedly not a fast time for top-notch wide receiver prospects.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that most teams had him at faster speeds since the combine numbers are unofficial. But even if that wasn't the case, Tate's tape should be impressive enough to make the Browns, or any team, feel comfortable taking him high in the first round.
Carnell Tate's disappointing combine might actually help the Browns
The Browns enter the 2026 NFL Draft with two glaring holes in their roster: Offensive line and wide receiver. As such, they're firmly expected to address those needs with their first two-round selections, regardless of the order.
Most big boards have them taking one of the top offensive tackles, Francis Mauigoa or Spencer Fano, at No. 6. Then again, they both turned plenty of heads at the combine, so there's a chance both could go inside the top five. Conversely, Tate may not have helped his case, thus making him available at No. 6 or even below if the Browns want to move a couple of spots down.
Top defensive prospects Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, and David Bailey also performed pretty well, and Caleb Downs has often been penciled in as the best player in this class. With Fernando Mendoza all but guaranteed to go No. 1, it feels all but certain that Tate will be up for grabs by the time the Browns are on the clock.
Speaking of the clock, those concerns about Tate's speed are way overblown. Football isn't played in a straight line, and Tate is as sure a thing as they come. Pro Football Focus gave him a 90.3 overall grade (fifth among 678 eligible wide receivers) and a 90.2 catch grade (also fifth).
Ohio State quarterbacks had a passer rating of 150.7 when targeting Tate. He didn't drop a single pass, and hauled in 44 of his 53 targets for 793 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, all while sharing touches with a seemingly generational prospect in Jeremiah Smith.
While he only played 9.9 percent of his snaps in the slot last season, he was actually a slot receiver in 31.3 percent of the snaps as a freshman. He can be efficient regardless of where he lines up, and his 3.52 yards per route run is just insanely efficient. If that wasn't impressive enough, he completed 12 of 14 contested catches for an absurd 85.7 percent catch rate.
Tate proved to be as reliable as they come, helping get 29 first downs, forcing six missed tackles, and piling up 198 yards after the catch. Speed matters, obviously, but it's not the most important thing by any means. Larry Fitzgerald ran a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, just like Cris Carter. Jerry Rice was even slower at 4.71, and all of those guys turned out pretty well.