Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith will inevitably be one of the first names called in the 2027 NFL Draft. Will he be the first player off the board?
Smith acknowledged before the season began that the 2026 college football season will likely be his last for the Buckeyes. College football players must be three years removed from high school before declaring for the NFL draft.
If it is his final season at Ohio State, Smith has already written an extensive legacy. He broke the all-time Ohio State records for receiving yards, receptions and receiving touchdowns earlier in the year and currently has the best odds of winning the Heisman Trophy.
A wide receiver has not gone No. 1 in the NFL draft since the New York Jets selected Keyshawn Johnson
with the top pick in 1996.
Smith leads the FBS in receptions (44), receiving yards (823) and receiving touchdowns (9).
Where will Jeremiah Smith end up in the 2027 NFL Draft?
An Oct. 7 mock draft from The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner has the Miami Dolphins selecting Smith with the No. 1 pick despite the need for a quarterback.
"Quarterback obviously would be an option for the Dolphins in Round 1, as would a trade. But this idea shouldn’t be ruled out. Smith is truly one of the best wide receiver prospects of the past 25 years — possibly beyond," Baumgardner wrote.
A mock draft from CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson also put Smith at the top spot.
Wrote Wilson: "Smith is the best player in college football, and it may not be particularly close. And if the Dolphins feel like Malik Willis is a better option than any of the QBs in this class, Smith is an easy choice here."
The Dolphins are a top candidate to land the No. 1 pick. They released several staple veterans, such as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and traded star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos for multiple draft picks. They are winless this season.
The Dolphins also signed quarterback Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million contract with $45 million guaranteed. Willis, a former third round draft pick, played well as the Green Bay Packers backup to quarterback Jordan Love. In two games as the starter last season, he threw for 409 yards and three touchdowns without an interception while rushing for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite giving Willis a lucrative deal, there's a chance the Dolphins could still go with a quarterback in the top spot. A mock draft from Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo has Texas quarterback Arch Manning landing with the Dolphins, with Smith landing with the Titans at the No. 2 pick.
If Smith were drafted by the Titans, he would reunite with fellow Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate, who was selected fourth in this year's draft. A year before that, the Titans selected Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick.
"Yes, the Titans drafted Carnell Tate last year, but Smith is a near-perfect prospect who would give Ward an even better chance to reach his ceiling," Melo wrote.
Smith and Tate were a dynamic duo during the Buckeyes 2025 season. Smith finished with 1,243 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns last season, while Tate had 875 yards and nine touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Could Jeremiah Smith be the No. 1 pick in 2027 NFL Draft? Experts weigh in
