One of the ways to project how an NFL Draft prospect will contribute when he gets into the league is to find a former player who has similar traits. As the Browns try to determine if wide receiver Carnell Tate is worthy of the No. 6 overall pick this year, it could help to look into the past.
During his time at Ohio State, Tate was not considered to be their best receiver, overshadowed by Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith. Yet that should not diminish what Tate was able to accomplish in his time there, much like a potential Hall of Famer who experienced something similar during his NFL career.
Browns analyst Garrett Bush has an intriguing comparison for Cleveland’s rumored wide receiver prospect, invoking the name of Indianapolis Colts great Reggie Wayne.
“[Carnell Tate’s] perfect [comparison] to me is Reggie Wayne. When he came out of Miami, it wasn’t like, ‘Oh my goodness, Reggie Wayne is so cold.’ But Reggie Wayne turned into one of those guys that is super dependable, a guy that was a No. 1 receiver but looked at as a No. 2 for most of his career,” Bush said.
REPORT: If Carnell Tate is on the board at #6, the Ohio State wide receiver will be the #Browns pick
What's Tate's Ceiling? Check out who @Gbush91 thinks Tate most resembles. 👀#NFLDraft2026 | https://t.co/7ClYocTQcf pic.twitter.com/30GghR5teN
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) April 6, 2026
Coming out of Miami, Wayne was the No. 30 overall pick by Indianapolis in the 2001 NFL Draft. For the first half of his career, playing with quarterback Peyton Manning, Wayne was the Colts’ No. 2 receiver behind future Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison.
After Harrison retired, Wayne was able to build a Hall of Fame-worthy resume of his own, finishing his 14 seasons with a total of 1,070 receptions for 14,345 yards and 82 touchdown catches. He ranks 11th all-time in receptions and 10th in receiving yards.
It would be ludicrous to project such things from Tate coming into the NFL. Yet, if the Browns were to select him, he would almost immediately become their No. 1 receiver, which is a role Wayne had to wait a long time for.
Tate’s draft stock may be falling, with analyst Tony Rizzo predicting that the Browns will pass on him in favor of offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, and that he will then fall out of the top 10. That may be unlikely, with the New Orleans Saints reportedly also targeting a wide receiver at No. 8 overall.
Regardless of where Tate lands, or where he falls in that team’s pecking order, he can only hope to come anywhere close to what Wayne was able to accomplish during his distinguished career.
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