Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith is No. 1 on draft analyst Mike Renner’s first 150-player big board for the 2027 NFL Draft, released Wednesday at the midpoint of the college season. The bigger question Renner tried to answer is whether any quarterback in a deep class deserves the first pick. His answer: maybe.
Renner wrote that two quarterbacks have started the season “on No. 1 pick trajectories,” with a few others within striking distance. Those two are Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker, fourth on the board, and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, 10th.
Renner’s top 10
- Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
- Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
- Dylan Stewart, EDGE, South Carolina
- Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State
- Colin Simmons, EDGE, Texas
- Xavier Gilliam, DT, Tennessee
- Ashton Hampton, CB, Clemson
- Trevor Goosby, OT, Texas
- Charlie Becker, WR, Indiana
- CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
On Smith, Renner kept it short: “If you’ve seen him play, no explanation is necessary.” He noted that Smith’s 12-game pace would put him in the single-season top 10 for both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and that extra games could put both records in play.
Mestemaker and Carr lead the quarterbacks
Renner called Mestemaker the best quarterback in college football over the past five weeks, after a shaky opener against Tulsa. Over that stretch he has averaged 11.1 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. Renner said his ability to throw downfield with pass rushers bearing down on him is unmatched in the class.
Carr, a third-year passer, is completing 70.8 percent of his throws with an average depth of target of 10.0 yards. Renner’s caveat is the schedule, since Notre Dame has not yet faced a top opponent.
The rest of the quarterbacks sit much lower. Ten of them are in Renner’s top 100:
- Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State: 4
- CJ Carr, Notre Dame: 10
- Arch Manning, Texas: 21
- Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss: 22
- Dante Moore, Oregon: 45
- Jayden Maiava, Duke: 61
- Julian Sayin, Ohio State: 75
- Darian Mensah, Miami: 81
- Walker Eget, Duke: 92
- Austin Simmons, Missouri: 100
On Manning, Renner wrote that he makes a handful of throws every week that suggest a franchise quarterback and a handful that would make a team nervous to draft him that high. He wants to see knockout performances against the best teams before buying in. Moore is listed at 45 only as a placeholder while he recovers from a head injury.
Risers to watch
Tennessee defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam is the biggest surprise in the top 10 at No. 6. Renner compared his rise to Byron Murphy’s in 2023, going from unheralded to a star almost overnight. Texas pass rusher Colin Simmons leads the FBS with 9.5 sacks, and Georgia linebacker Chris Cole, at 16, drew a comparison to Sonny Styles.
Indiana’s Charlie Becker, ninth, has never dropped a pass in 65 career chances, according to Renner. Florida running back Jadan Baugh, 19th, already has 38 broken tackles in six games.
The 2027 NFL Draft runs April 29 through May 1 in Washington, D.C.
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