Following his gruesome season-ending injury early in the year, it's widely believed that wide receiver Tyreek Hill has played his last down as a member of the Miami Dolphins.
It's possible Hill has played his last down entirely, but either way, Miami will have to do its due diligence in the best attempt at replacing him.
The Dolphins could look to do that early in the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, one recent mock draft has them doing exactly that in Round 1.
CBS Sports mocks Carnell Tate to Dolphins in 2026 NFL Draft
In his latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft 3.0 for CBS Sports, Ryan Wilson has the Dolphins selecting Ohio State's Carnell Tate as the first wide receiver off the board at pick 12. It's interesting to note, though, that Tate is not CBS's No. 1-ranked receiver, with that honor going to Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, who Wilson mocked to the Buffalo Bills at No. 21 overall.
Similar to Tate being mocked to Miami by Wilson, FanSided's Saturday Blitz also mocked a wide receiver to the Dolphins, with USC's Makai Lemon making the cross-country trip to South Florida. So it stands to reason that several believe Miami will target a wide receiver early on in the draft -- as they should.
As of now, the Dolphins will have five top 100 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft (six if defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver gets a head coaching job elsewhere). They will also have several needs by then, regardless of what they do in free agency, and WR is absolutely one that will need to be addressed.
Many within the fan base will be clamoring for Miami to draft a quarterback. However, given where the Dolphins are likely to be selecting, that may not be a possibility. The Dolphins have won three straight and four of five to move themselves down the order to pick 12 as it stands.
Assuming they win a few more games, it's possible they push themselves even further. Plus, with this not being a great QB class, likely Miami looks elsewhere with its first-round pick unless a promising signal-caller falls to them.
Hitting on your first-round selection is critical in the NFL -- even more so for teams looking to rebuild. And I'm a strong believer that when in doubt, go with an Ohio State Buckeyes receiver. For four straight years, the Buckeyes have had at least one wide receiver drafted in the first round, and if Wilson's mock draft is even remotely accurate, Tate will make it five in a row in 2026. (And you can write in Jeremiah Smith already for 2027 to continue the streak.)
Among the OSU WRs drafted in Round 1 since 2022 -- Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Emeka Egbuka -- only Harrison is mildly considered a bust. Yet, that has more to do with him being a top-five pick and fans expecting more because of it, as well as fantasy football managers being impatient.
Harrison is a phenomenal player who is still coming into his own, and the rest of the league will need to watch out when he does. Likewise, JSN started slowly in Seattle, but now, he's one of the best receivers in the league.
The point is that taking an Ohio State WR early on in the draft is about as close to a sure thing as one can get. This season, Tate has totaled 44 receptions for 793 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games, helping to lead the dominant Buckeyes to an undefeated season heading into the Big Ten Championship Game. He's played as a WR2 behind Smith at OSU, but Tate possesses all of the qualities of a WR1 and would complement Jaylen Waddle perfectly in Miami.
Tate's 6'3" frame may be why Wilson mocked him to Miami over Tyson, labeling him "a long strider with a big catch radius and reliable hands" and that he "makes contested catches downfield look easy." Wilson adds that Tate's "ball-tracking, route-running, and ability to operate in space make him a Day 1 impact player at the next level."
I wholeheartedly agree with that last reference. Some Dolphins fans may not view wide receiver as a No. 1 priority, but it is a priority nonetheless, and if Tate is on the board when Miami selects, he should be in strong consideration.
Waddle is a terrific player in his own right, but replacing Hill will be a challenge. Yet, it's a challenge I believe Tate could conquer. The Dolphins may not have their franchise QB currently in the building, but it's okay to start building around him in the meantime. Drafting Tate would be a great step in that direction.