Ohio State spent $20 million on roster building but it all proved to be fruitful in the end. The Buckeyes just became the National Champions, defeating Notre Dame 34-23 in the final. While the whole team performed well, it was Jeremiah Smith who once again captured people’s imagination. In the final against Notre Dame, he caught five passes for 88 yards and 1 TD, taking his season total to 1312 yards and 15 TDs.
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The freshman has got the world on the string and looks like a superstar and NFL product already, with Shannon Sharpe comparing him to Marvin Harrison Jr on the Nightcap post-game show.
“Jeremiah Smith is going to be a top pick just like Marvin Harrison Jr. Just like all these other guys and other receivers they have had- Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jackson-Smith Njigba.”
Chad Johnson wondered if Jeremiah Smith could enter the NFL draft after just another season in college, arguing that there would be no one to rival him as the 1st overall pick besides Arch Manning. Sharpe pointed out that Smith being only a freshman can’t enter the draft until his junior year.
Ocho marveled at the Buckeyes’ widout’ talent and believes he will take over college football next season after just one off-season. He firmly believes Smith to be the 1st overall pick in the 2027 class.
— Josh McCaffrey (@JoshMcCaff911) January 21, 2025
Interestingly, no receiver has been picked 1st overall since 1996 when the Jets picked KeyShawn Johnson 1st overall. There have been only three wideouts to be picked 1st. Aside from KeyShawn, the other two are Irving Fryar in 1984 by the Patriots and Dave Parks in 1964 by the Niners. All three had respectable careers but aren’t Hall of Famers.
However, as for top-five picks, 13 receivers have that distinction. AJ Green, Peter Warrick, Michael Westbrook, Desmond Howard, Kenny Jackson, Ahmad Rashad, J.D Hill, and Marvin Harrison Jr. went 4th overall.
Braylon Edwards, Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, and Wes Chandler went 3rd overall. Calvin ‘Megatron’ Johnson, Charles Rogers, and Lam Jones went 2nd overall. Ja’Marr Chase, Jerry Butler, Corey Davis, and Justin Blackmon were fifth overall picks.
Jeremiah Smith already looks like a top-five pick, but to elevate himself to the first overall pick—a spot typically reserved for quarterbacks, offensive tackles, or edge rushers—he’ll need to deliver exceptional performances over the next two seasons. To break that barrier, Smith must put up Heisman-worthy numbers, similar to what DeVonta Smith achieved during his historic campaign.
NFL teams are often hesitant to select wide receivers first overall, given the depth of talent typically available at the position in the first two rounds. Smith will need to prove he’s not just elite but transformative to warrant being the rare receiver chosen at No.1.
