Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate. Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Adam Schefter accused of hyping up top NFL Draft prospect

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Mar 2, 2026 8:50 AM ET

ESPN reporter Adam Schefter is being accused of carrying water for a top NFL Draft prospect thanks to one of his social media posts on Sunday.

Schefter went out of his way to highlight the supposed speed of Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, who ran the 40-yard dash on Saturday. Tate was officially clocked at 4.52 seconds on the 40, but Schefter claimed that “several” NFL executives privately had the wide receiver in the range of 4.45-4.47 seconds.

Ohio State WR Carnell Tate, a potential top 10 pick, was timed by several NFL executives and GMs on Saturday with a 40 time in the range of 4.45-4.47 seconds.

Although the combine registers official times, teams always conduct their own timing, and those measurements with some…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2026

Schefter did not offer the same insights about any other draft prospects, leading many to suggest that the ESPN reporter was doing a favor for Tate and his agent.

Tate is represented by Drew Rosenhaus, one of the most powerful and well-known agents in the NFL.

It is no secret that agents use reporters to pass along information that they want in the public domain. Usually, it is more subtle than this, and it is entirely possible that Rosenhaus was trying to boost Tate’s draft stock and used Schefter to try to do it.

Schefter has plenty of critics that will seize on this. The reality of the situation, however, is that no matter what the reason for his post was, it’s unlikely to make NFL teams significantly change their own assessments of Tate, who is already viewed as a surefire first-round pick.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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