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Ohio State’s 2026 top-five pair shows two routes to the NFL
Carnell Tate and Arvell Reese went fourth and fifth in April. Their draft positions connect Ohio State’s receiver reputation with its defensive development.
2 sources / Updated October 5, 2026
Ohio State's first two selections in the 2026 NFL Draft came on consecutive picks: receiver Carnell Tate went fourth to Tennessee, and linebacker Arvell Reese went fifth to the New York Giants. The school's April 23 account of Reese's selection makes the pair a useful starting point for looking at development across different positions. Ohio State draft report
The same report documents Reese's progression through three college seasons. He played eight games as a freshman with his work on special teams, contributed on defense during the 2024 championship season, then finished 2025 as a consensus All-American. Those steps give the word development a concrete sequence: different responsibilities across successive years.
For an Ohio State reader, that history is more informative than treating every future professional as a finished player on arrival. A freshman may spend much of the season in a role that receives little broadcast attention. Later defensive snaps can expand the assignment before a player becomes a regular starter. A draft position records the professional team's decision at the end of that process.
Tate and Reese also help widen the Sunday viewing menu. A receiver's work is easy to find in catches and receiving yards. A linebacker may affect a play without finishing with the tackle. Tracking former Buckeyes across positions requires different questions, and a single statistical category will not describe every job.
The April report places the 2026 pair alongside Ohio State top-five pairs from 1997, 2016 and 2020. That is a historical comparison with defined years, rather than a prediction of what the next class will produce. It explains why fans have several generations of former Buckeyes to follow in the professional game.
Sunday coverage can make that connection useful by telling readers what a player is being asked to do and checking the official record afterward. Draft pedigree provides the background. Current roster status, game availability and the week's performance determine the present story. Tate's and Reese's April selections give Ohio State another pair of careers to track as those professional assignments develop.