Jeremiah Smith Receives Unexpected News on NFL Future After Ohio State Mass Exodus Piles Pressure on Ryan Day & Co.

Jeremiah Smith will have to stick to the oven for a couple of years before he can take it to the pro. But if you look at the level of his performance, it is screaming NFL. Smith broke the true freshman receiving record, putting together a total of 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, and led the Buckeyes to national championship eminence. As the Buckeyes stepped in for spring practice, Smith, for the second time, earned the Iron Buckeye award.

Coach Ryan Day said the award honors the guy with a unique talent and the discipline to cultivate and hone that talent consistently. How Jeremiah Smith keeps making the right decisions at the right time and commands sharp leadership on and off the field makes him stand out. Now, you know why the NFL buzz is spreading like a fire.

Of course, the 32 teams have to wait with bated breath to get a grasp of the Ohio State prodigy. But when he is there, he will be a prize they won’t want to miss. The general expectation around the Florida native was that he would be one of the top picks of the 2027 draft. In early projections, Draft Countdown suggested Smith will go No. 2 overall in 2027, a step down from Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin. While some draft analysts see Smith as one of the top 10 promising prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft. But this time, it seems the sky is the limit, as a top NFL Draft expert came up with a bombshell claim about where Smith would be taken in a hypothetical 2025 class.

The curiosity is very much valid, given the amount of hype the mock draft is getting ahead of April D-day. When asked about the same on the CBS Sports’ episode of March 29th, Ryan Wilson simply raised his finger, implying ‘number one.’ Wilson explained later, “I asked some folks in the league about ‘who would be the first wide receiver in this draft class if Jeremiah Smith were available?’ and the answer was Jeremiah Smith.”

Well, the prediction might sound pretty exaggerated if you’re a Travis Hunter fan. I mean, the Heisman hero literally battled every inch of his odds to settle into the helm of the business. The Cam Ward vs. Travis Hunter debate is spreading wings in the lore as much as we inch near the draft day. The Miami QB has the numbers and the usual trend of drafting QBs at No. 1 in his favor. But Hunter possesses the rare quality to contribute on both sides of the ball. But yes, if it were just among receivers, Hunter’s spot would have no competition. Well, if Smith were to get in the way, it would be a different story, though. Wilson continued, ‘‘I said ‘what about Travis Hunter [the likely top WR in this year’s draft]?’ and the answer remained Jeremiah Smith.”

While in reality, it won’t be possible for Smith to prove himself a better prospect than the Colorado receiver. The comparison itself speaks of how much of an impressive freshman season he had at Columbus. But as usual, the path to being the NFL draft poster boy won’t be a cakewalk. There is a dead trap you should be aware of.

Jeremiah Smith might feel an extra bit of pressure in his second year 

All the rosy projections sound too good to be true. But it’s certainly not an illusion. Smith has that amount of talent in him to deserve that kind of early bet. But the thing is that things can get ruined if they’re overused. Smith had a clean confession last year, right after a standout win against Akron in the season opener. He said he doesn’t really feel any pressure. The win led to many more wins in the season, and finally, Smith ended his freshman era with a title-clinching catch. But the question is, can he live up to the same in his crucial second year?

Speaking on the ‘Ruffino & Joe Show’, Deleone shed light on a huge concern that Ryan Day and specifically Jeremiah Smith might have to fight in the 2025 season. “Last year, Jeremiah Smith was the number one option, but did not need to be. Because they had TreVeyon Henderson, they had Quinshon Judkins, they had Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate, whom they did get production out of. This upcoming year, you have a new quarterback, and you are a lot more depleted with options.”

But this year, the situation will be outright different. The depth chart is highly likely to suffer to protect the star quarterback this season. Besides the elite WR names mentioned above, players like Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, and Denzel Burke will also be off the cart this time. It will be a real challenge for Smith to rise above the void in the receiver room and establish his momentum more firmly, leading up to a great NFL future.

This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.