If there's one thing the Denver Broncos might end up seriously regretting about their 2025 NFL Draft class, it's that they didn't draft anyone from Ohio State. The National Champions had an incredible number of prospects hitting the NFL in 2025 and while many of them popped up in Denver Broncos mock draft scenarios, the Broncos didn't actually take any of them.
Which, as high as we are on the Broncos' offseason and 2025 draft class, is a shame.
Ohio State isn't done churning out NFL talent, however. The Broncos could get a mulligan as early as the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, ESPN's Jordan Reid recently put out a 2026 mock draft in which he has the Broncos doing exactly what they should have done in 2025: Take at least one guy from Ohio State.
ESPN predicts Broncos take Ohio State WR Carnell Tate in 2026 mock draft
Here's Reid's explanation of the pick:
"Tate is next in line out of Ohio State's wide receiver factory and would be a good addition for Denver to help quarterback Bo Nix. He is a smooth, efficient-moving receiver who had 52 receptions for 733 yards and 4 touchdowns last season as the Buckeyes' WR3. With Emeka Egbuka off to the NFL, Tate has a chance to step up his production and further show his dependability as a pass catcher and route runner."
- Jordan Reid, ESPN
Tate is listed at 6-foot-3, 192 pounds and frankly, isn't the most coveted wide receiver at Ohio State right now. That title belongs to sophomore Jeremiah Smith, who will likely be a top-five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft when he's eligible.
But the fact that Smith is on the roster might overshadow a talent like Tate just enough to where the Broncos will actually have a chance to snatch him up. He's a long, slender receiver with big-play ability who was ranked as the 25th-best overall player in the high school class of 2022 (regardless of position).
The Buckeyes will have a lot of moving parts offensively this coming season but Tate figures to benefit tremendously from an increase in overall targets within that passing attack.
Is this exactly the mulligan the Denver Broncos need after the 2025 NFL Draft? Maybe. The Broncos are high on their current group of wide receivers, but we won't know until these guys get out on the field who is actually going to be stepping up. It is possible that the team will have to start planning for the future beyond Courtland Sutton even with rumors he could be getting a contract extension very soon.
This is a fun mock draft pick for the Broncos, even one year out, but the one thing to really dislike about it? ESPN's got the Broncos picking 19th in next year's draft, which would mean they didn't exactly improve on the field in 2025. Hopefully, the Broncos are able to be picking somewhere 25 or later after another greatly improved season.