ESPN's surprising ranking pits Olave against Tate. Discover why the Saints star receiver is ranked lower than a rising prospect.
The New Orleans Saints are a popular pick to draft current NFL draft prospect and Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate. It would not be the first time the team targeted an Ohio State wide receiver.
Current Saints star receiver Chris Olave has made a name for himself in the league and surprised as one of the NFL's best wide receivers in the process.
ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller ranked both Tate and Olave among Ohio State wide receivers that have been drafted since 2022. Surprisingly, Miller ranked Olave behind Tate. He gave his analysis on why Olave is the Buckeyes fifth best receiver over the last four seasons.
"I consider Olave a personal miss, as I had him lower in my predraft rankings than most. He tested much better than I expected at the 2022 combine, highlighted by his 4.39 40-yard dash. At 6-foot, 187 pounds, Olave was seen by scouts as an NFL-ready route runner with good vertical speed and exceptionally smooth movements throughout the route tree.
The knock on Olave at the time was how much space was afforded to receivers in Ohio State's scheme. But he scored 35 touchdowns in four seasons with the Buckeyes, and he had three years of more than 700 receiving yards and at least 49 catches. ...
Olave quickly made his mark in New Orleans, though. In four NFL seasons, he has caught 291 passes for 19 touchdowns and is coming off his best season in 2025 (100 catches, 1,163 receiving yards and nine scores). My colleague Mel Kiper Jr. actually has Tate joining Olave in New Orleans in his recent 2026 mock draft."
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) and Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Chris Olave (2) congratulate Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (12) celebrate together. Joshua A. Bickel/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesOlave may not be the best pure prospect of the two players. Certainly, Tate has made a handful of highlight plays in his time with Ohio State. Even so, Olave is the proven commodity of the two.
New Orleans' offense has not had much to hang its hat on, but throughout the early career of their young star player, Olave has been one of the more dependable players on the team. As a result, New Orleans has leaned on the Ohio State product.
There's still time before both players' legacy is set in stone. It's too early to project either player's place in NFL history despite strong early returns from Olave. Albeit, with both Olave and Tate, it's fair to say that the sky is the limit.