A new ESPN mock draft has these three Buckeyes selected within the top 10 picks of 2026 NFL Draft.
With news of Ohio State stars Carnell Tate and Caleb Downs committing to the 2026 NFL Draft, where do the latest mock drafts have them projected to be selected?
Tate on Jan. 6 shared his plan to turn pro via posts on Instagram and X. He broke out as one of Ohio State's top receiving threats during the 2025 season alongside Jeremiah Smith, finishing with 875 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games played. He eclipsed 100 receiving yards in four of those games and had a career-high 183 receiving yards in Ohio State's 42-3 victory over Minnesota.
Downs, currently the top-ranked player on PFF's 2026 NFL Draft Big Board, announced his declaration for the draft via his podcast on Jan. 7. He won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2025, which goes to the top defensive back in all of college football.
See where both players are projected to be selected in a recent NFL mock draft from ESPN's Jordan Reid below.
No. 4 | Arvell Reese, Edge/LB, Tennessee Titans
A player who has previously been projected to land in the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese burst onto the scene in 2025. Reid believes his best fit at the NFL level is as an edge rusher.
"Reese is arguably the top player in the draft. He's explosive and plays with plenty of physicality," Reid wrote.
Reese ranked seventh in the FBS in pressure rate when playing the edge rushing role, and Reid discussed him as an ideal complement to Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons.
No. 5 | Carnell Tate, WR, New York Giants
The Giants struck gold by landing LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers in the 2024 NFL Draft. But Nabers' ACL tear this season and the promise shown by rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart might lead the Giants to take Tate as early as the No. 5 pick, making him the first wide receiver off the board.
"Tate is a polished wideout capable of executing every branch on the route tree. He has sure hands, can separate against all types of coverage and makes plays downfield," Reid wrote.
No. 10 | Caleb Downs, S, Cincinnati Bengals
Reid mentioned that a safety has not been selected in the top-10 picks of an NFL draft since 2017, but highlighted Downs as one of the three best players in the class and a natural fit to return to Ohio and help Cincinnati's struggling defense.
"His versatility, sure tackling and instincts would eliminate a lot of the problems that Cincinnati had on the back end this season," Reid said.
No. 12 | Sonny Styles, LB, Dallas Cowboys
Mocked in the back end of the first round in earlier mock drafts, Reid highlighted Styles' "attacking style" at linebacker and argued he would be a natural upgrade for a Cowboys' defense that gave up the third-most yards in the NFL in 2025.
No. 16 | Kayden McDonald, DT, New York Jets
After trading defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, Reid described Kayden McDonald as a potential foundation on which to rebuild the Jets' defense.
"He's a forceful run defender who constantly creates chaos for opposing offenses," Reid wrote, "... McDonald can also be disruptive as a pass rusher and can push the interior of the pocket."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NFL mock draft | Where Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, Carnell Tate project
Category: General Sports
