Why Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith isn't in the 2026 NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Ohio State Buckeyes produce wide receivers like nobody else.

Jeremiah Smith might just be the best of the bunch, and his NFL future is supernova bright.

That professional future just hasn't arrived yet.

Smith isn't a part of the 2026 NFL Draft class, even though his college teammate Carnell Tate is.

That's despite the fact that Smith would potentially be the WR1 in this group if he was in the draft.

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For a player to be eligible for the NFL Draft, he must be three years removed from high school.

Smith has spent just two seasons in Columbus so far, so there's another year still to go.

Barring a shocking shift, Smith will likely be the No. 1 WR in the 2027 NFL Draft class.

In the meantime, college defensive backs will have to figure out how to slow down a guy that, based on talent alone, could certainly be playing in the NFL right now.

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