The 2026 NFL Draft is mere days away. The league is abuzz with rumors and predictions, none of which we will know the truth of until the event arrives on April 23.
While mock drafts are dropping in droves, a recent article by FOX Sports NFL reporter Eric Williams did something a little bit different. He didn’t go pick-by-pick for this one, but rather tried to predict solely where the top wide receivers in this year’s draft class will land. To no one’s surprise, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate was predicted to land with the Washington Commanders at No. 7.
2025 stats: 51 receptions, 875 receiving yards, 9 receiving touchdowns
If the Cleveland Browns draft an offensive tackle at No. 6, the door should be open for the Commanders to select the top receiver in this year’s draft with the seventh overall pick. Washington needs to add another playmaker to help take pressure off quarterback Jayden Daniels as he returns to play from a season-ending elbow injury. The Commanders get the most complete receiver in this year’s draft in Tate.
At 6-2 and 194 pounds, Tate has excellent hands and is a polished route runner. He was coached at Ohio State by one of the best receiver coaches in college in Brian Hartline, so he understands the nuances of playing the position. The Buckeyes have an impressive lineage of receivers who have gone on to have successful NFL careers. And Tate joins one of them in Washington with No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin.
Projected draft slot: No. 7 overall
Tate is widely considered to be the top wide receiver in this draft class, and nearly all mock drafts have him as the first receiver selected. Some suggest Tate will land with the New York Giants at No. 5 or the Cleveland Browns at No. 6, but a larger consensus has him landing with the Commanders at No. 7.
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Should the Commanders select Tate, he would join fellow Ohio State wideout Terry McLaurin as one of Jayden Daniels’s downfield targets. He is exactly the type of player the Commanders are searching for at wide receiver. They need someone who can compete, someone who is reliable, and someone who will make opposing defenses think twice about doubling up on McLaurin.
The Commanders will have a ton of options when it comes to their first-round pick, on both sides of the ball. They’ll also be waiting for the phone to ring from other teams calling with trade offers. With only six picks in this year’s draft, Adam Peters and the Commanders are open for business when it comes to trading down for more draft capital. But the thought of Tate as an additional receiver for Daniels is pretty salivating, so the offers will have to be good.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders predicted to land top wide receiver with No. 7 pick
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