Draft Preview: 'Trapeze artist' Carnell Tate king of contested catch, latest in long line of OSU greats

As Carnell Tate went up and over defensive backs for long catches and touchdowns during his stellar Ohio State career, he appeared to be 6-foot-4.When the receiver was officially measured at the scouting combine, he was 6-foot-2 1/4, 192 pounds — good size but not great. His athleticism made the difference.Draft Preview: USC receiver Makai Lemon brings zest to offense, plays faster than 40 time"Carnell, if he's not an NFL receiver, he probably could be a trapeze artist with how acrobatic he is," Browns general manager Andrew Berry said last week, referring to him as an "excellent prospect."Tate, 21, caught 51 passes for 875 yards, a 17.2 average and nine touchdowns without a drop as a junior in 2025. He had 52 catches for 733 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore.When asked what parts of his game will translate best to the NFL, Tate said route running and the ability to make the contested catch."Being able to move DBs off their spot and going up and make a play over the top of them," he said at the combine. "It starts in practice — DBs next to you, just working in a drill with bags, having people just mess with you hitting you. So it starts practicing there, you execute on Saturdays."If the Browns sit at No. 6 and make a selection Thursday night in the NFL Draft, Tate would be a popular pick among fans. He would also make plenty of sense … assuming he's still on the board.Even with the Browns confident Jerry Jeudy will have a bounce-back season, they need a No. 1 receiver as they try to add juice to the offense and support whoever is the quarterback. Tate is widely considered the draft's top wideout — USC's Makai Lemon would argue — and appears to be next in the line of Pro Bowl receivers to come out of Columbus."The competition there, we're all pushing to be the best receiver on the field that day and that practice," said Tate, an Academic All-American. "Typically, when you're the best receiver at Ohio State, you're the best receiver in the country. So we all got high expectations for each other, always pushing each other to be better."Zone Coverage PodcastPerhaps the biggest question about Tate's draft value is that he wasn't the No. 1 receiver for the Buckeyes. Jeremiah Smith, who might have been the best player in college football as a sophomore in 2025, filled that role."It adds context, but I would maybe point to, specifically at Ohio State, the receivers that have come there in the past," Berry said.He mentioned Emeka Egbuka played with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who played with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave."At times we can maybe overanalyze that aspect, but it may provide context in terms of their production or the matchups that they're drawing," Berry said.That's the concern with Tate. As a top-10 pick, he would likely go from facing single coverage to getting the bulk of the attention from the defense."I think it'll be a smooth transition," Tate said. "Like in college, from being the No. 1 and No. 2, it all comes down to targets. I think I did a great job with the targets I was given. I went out there and made plays thanks to Julian (Sayin, quarterback)."Andrew Berry says he's trying to maximize 'most valuable asset,' whether that's trading down from No. 6 or notThe recent legacy of Ohio State receivers, which also includes Terry McLaurin and Marvin Harrison Jr., is generally viewed as a positive when discussing Tate and his NFL future. The success rate is remarkable."It's a blessing to be part of the history of Ohio State and the great receivers that came through before me," he said. "They inspired me a lot. I would love to be like them. They're at the next level, they're playing at the highest level at a high level, so I look up to all those guys."There's also a lot on your shoulders now — you've got to be the next one to come out and carry the receiver legacy."Tate clocked 4.53 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine. Plenty fast enough for the NFL but far from blazing. He compensates in other ways."He's a tremendous route runner," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on "The Jim Rome Show." "When you watch him get in and out of breaks, he's special. Also, if you watch him block, he did a great job, so he's a team player. His running after the catch is excellent, he's a deep threat down the field and the way he tracks a deep ball. I think his game translates very well to the NFL."His ceiling is very high, you're only seeing a little bit of what he can do."Tate enjoyed the deep shots, naming the go and post as his favorite routes. He had nine catches of 40-plus yards in 2025 and averaged 32.5 yards per touchdown."I'm able to flip the DB the opposite way or run right past him," he said.The Browns interviewed him at the combine."I had a great meeting with the Browns," he said. "We just talked ball. We put my film on, see what I like, coverages I know and watched a couple what I could do better at and the execution."It would mean to stay next to Columbus, then I can go out there and see all my guys out there in Ohio State. And I know Ohio State fans love the Cleveland Browns, so why not?"Whether it was the Browns or another team, he had a simple message."If you want a game-changer, you got one right here," he said.He was clear who's the draft's best receiver."Me, no questions," Tate said. "I bring it all to the table. Whatever you need to do I got it."The post Draft Preview: 'Trapeze artist' Carnell Tate king of contested catch, latest in long line of OSU greats first appeared on BrownsZone with Scott Petrak.