Big Blue View
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.
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.
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...
