Justin Melo· Sep 13, 2026
Melo argues Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith has a realistic shot to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, calling him the best prospect in the country and saying positional value shouldn't keep him from going first.
“Smith is the best prospect in the country, and positional value shouldn't play a role in his outcome.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.
Nothing to score yet: this grades once the result is in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Where this call stands in the room
Jeremiah Smith · 2026 season · overall pick3 calls from 3 pundits between 1 overall pick and 1 overall pick. Justin Melo said 1 overall pick. the room's median is 1 overall pick. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the room
overall pickTheir call against everyone else's, while this is still unsettled.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
1 checkable claim in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Mock Draft PicksJeremiah SmithSep 13, 2026
Jeremiah Smith to be picked at number 1
“Smith continues to prove he possesses a realistic chance to become the first receiver to go No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft since Keyshawn Johnson did so in 1996.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Rob RangMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithMiss · 0Rang ranks the four headline prospects from the Texas-Ohio State game in the order he'd draft them (Jeremiah Smith, Arch Manning, Cam Coleman, Julian Sayin) and assigns each a draft grade: Smith and Manning as top-5 picks, Coleman top 10, and Sayin a third-rounder.
- Rob BushkaMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithMiss · 0Buschka predicted Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith could be the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft, that Ty Simpson will sit as a clipboard-holding backup, that the receiver the Rams passed on (Lemon) will break out with a huge target share once AJ Brown is moved to New England, and he called Sean McVay the best coach in the NFL.
- Daniel WadeMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithMiss · 0In a trade-back mock draft, Wade has the Chargers deal pick 22 to Miami and select edge rusher Cassius Howell at 30, guard Keelan Rutledge at 55, cornerback Malik Muhammad at 86, wide receiver Brennan Thompson at 87, linebacker Keyshawn Elliott at 123, and offensive tackle Travis Burke at 151.
- Charlie CampbellPosition Order Calls · Jeremiah SmithPendingCampbell projects several 2027 draft prospects: the Texas edge defender (listed as Colin Williams but referred to as Simmons) as a top-10 to top-20 pick after a five-sack game, Jeremiah Smith as the first non-quarterback off the board, Greg Johnson with first-round potential, Arion Carter as a Day 2 pick, and a sliding John Mateer as a Day 3 prospect.
- Charlie CampbellPro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · Jeremiah SmithPendingA 2027 NFL Draft stock report predicts Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith will be one of the first players drafted in the coming April draft, projects him as an elite No. 1 NFL receiver with early-career Pro Bowl potential, and says Arizona State WR Reed Harris is showing early-round potential.
- Josh EdwardsMock Draft Picks · Jeremiah SmithPendingA CBS Sports 2027 NFL mock draft projecting the full first round plus select second-round picks, headlined by Arch Manning going No. 1 overall to Miami and five quarterbacks in Round 1.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Ryan WilsonMock Draft Picks · J.J. McCarthyMiss · 37Recalling his pre-draft evaluation, Wilson notes he had ranked J.J. McCarthy as the fifth quarterback in the 2024 class and given him a second-round grade rather than a first-round one, citing the gap between Michigan's system and NFL demands.
- Lance ZierleinMock Draft Picks · Jeremiyah LoveHit · 100Zierlein laid out his final mock draft: Jeremiah Love at No. 3 to Arizona, Sonny Styles at No. 4 to Robert Saleh's team, and Caleb Downs to the Giants at No. 5. He also called Styles the only first-round linebacker in the class and said Ty Simpson is a lock to be a first-round pick, most likely to Arizona.
- Nick ShookMock Draft Picks · Max IheanachorHit · 88Shook walks through his full first-round mock draft, assigning a prospect to every pick from No. 1 to No. 32, headlined by Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, David Bailey to the Jets and Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals in the top three.
- Gregg RosenthalMock Draft Picks · K.C. ConcepcionClose · 68Rosenthal disagrees most with Casey Concepcion being left out of the first round, arguing he could go as high as the top 15 and certainly won't last past receiver-needy teams in the late twenties.
- Daniel JeremiahMock Draft Picks · Keyron CrawfordHit · 81In discussing teams without first-round picks, Jeremiah projected specific Day 2 picks: Clemson WR Antonio Williams to the Falcons at 48, Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez to the Colts in the second round, Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas to the Packers at 52, and Auburn edge Keiroon Crawford to the Broncos at 62. He also expects Riley Leonard to open as the Colts' starting QB and Travis Hunter to play cornerback full time in Jacksonville.
- Daniel JeremiahMock Draft Picks · Carnell TateHit · 92Jeremiah says Denver, not Kansas City, will be the clear favorite in the AFC West this season; he also puts Carnell Tate sixth and Monroe Freeling twentieth on his prospect board, mocks Tate to Cleveland at No. 6, and expects Georgia receiver Branch to be a Day 2 pick after a strong pro day.