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Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith catches a pass against Michigan. | Getty Images
The 2027 quarterback class is already generating a historic amount of buzz, and that’s driving excitement in this year’s college football season and the 2027 draft as a whole. That said, it doesn’t take much time at all to realize that this is going to be a very talented draft at several positions, with wide receiver chief amongst them.
It just makes sense to start with Jeremiah Smith out of Ohio State, even though there is, frankly, no chance that the New York Giants will be in a position to draft Smith unless something incredibly unexpected happens. To get Smith, they’ll need something like Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston both being injured in Week 1 and completely collapsing, or to acquire a Top 3 pick.
Smith is considered the top receiver in the class and is already being compared to Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson. He’ll be pacing the field and the yardstick by which every other receiver in this class is measured, which is why we’re starting with him.
What he does well
Smith is one of the freakiest athletes in all of college football. Weighing in at (roughly) 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, he reportedly runs in the 4.3s, has an 11-foot broad jump, a 38-inch vertical, and can grind out 20 reps of 225. As a true junior, he also led the Big 10 conference in receiving in each of his true freshman (1,315 yards, 15 touchdowns) and sophomore (1,243 yards, 12 touchdowns) seasons.
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Smith already shows a solid foundation in his route running. He understands how to use his size and physicality to create space as an outside receiver. There are multiple instances of him bending route stems inside to give himself room along the sideline, using his frame to influence defenders. Smith is also starting to understand how to tempo his route stems, change his stride length, and use stutter steps. His strength also allows him to play through contact without being knocked off his routes.
His speed and catch radius allow him to be a deep threat or a weapon in run-after-catch situations. Likewise, Smith’s sheer size and strength allow him to fight through tackle attempts and pick up yards after contact. He does a good job of extending to maximize his catch radius and pluck the ball out of the air.
Finally, Smith isn’t just an “X” receiver, lined up on the perimeter and on the line of scrimmage. He also operates inside as a “power slot” in Ohio State’s offense. That alignment has been gaining popularity in the NFL because it creates matchup problems against smaller slot corners and less-athletic safeties, or forces outside corners inside where they may be less comfortable.
What he needs to improve
Smith is currently getting the best wide receiver coaching in college football from Brian Hartline. So it’s safe to assume that he’ll emerge from Ohio State as a (relatively) polished NFL prospect.
And really, that’s what he needs at this point: polishing.
Smith doesn’t do anything particularly poorly and really just needs to continue to hone his craft as a receiver. To start, he needs to become more crisp throughout his routes — they aren’t sloppy, but there’s definitely room for improvement.
He needs to get better at using his hands to beat press coverage early in routes and improve on the foundation he already has as a route technician. He understands how to use his size and manipulate his stems to create space, but needs to improve his head and body fakes and his stride tempo, to keep defenders unsure. His sheer athleticism is an incredibly effective threat because it’s such a great weapon, and making use of that threat will open up other areas of the field to him.
Smith will never be a shifty hyper-agile athlete who can cut on a dime and uncover at will in close quarters. Instead, he’ll need to master route manipulation to create that separation for him.
He also needs to get better at using late hands at the catch point. Smith’s hands aren’t exactly “early”; however, there’s a marked difference between how he and Carnell Tate catch the ball on tape. Where Tate’s hands flash at the very last instant, Smith’s hands are noticeably slower and earlier, waiting for the ball to arrive. His size and play strength can prop open the receiving window, but the earlier that Smith’s hands go out, the more it slows him down and the greater the opportunity for defenders to disrupt the catch. He had multiple passes either batted away or knocked out of his hands because he clued the defender in that the ball was inbound.
Game tape
(Smith is the Ohio State wide receiver wearing number 4)
Final thoughts
Jeremiah Smith is pretty widely considered the best non-quarterback in this draft class.
The Buckeyes have been pumping out great receiving prospects for years now, and Smith promises to be the best of the bunch. The comparisons with the likes of Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones start with his rare athletic traits, but those guys also had remarkable NFL careers. If everything holds for the season, it seems like the only way that Smith falls out of the Top 3 is if there’s a 2024-like run on quarterbacks at the top of the draft. It would be a stunning development if he falls out of the Top 5.
All of that means that it’s very unlikely that Smith will be a Giant in 2027. However, understanding who he is gives us a useful reference point for the rest of the receiver class.
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