theathleticuk
Editors note: This is the first installment of Dane Bruglers 2027 NFL Draft Summer Scouting series.
Up next: defensive tackles.
Just wait until the 2027 draft class.
We started hearing that phrase early in the 2024 season, when Jeremiah Smith and several other freshman receivers exploded onto the college football scene.
As we enter the 2027 NFL Draft cycle, the hype remains red hot and it starts with Smith.
Advertisement Over the last six years, quarterback has been the only position to produce more top-10 picks than wide receiver.
The 27 draft class should continue that trend.
(Note: An asterisk represents draft-eligible underclassmen.
Heights and weights are what NFL teams currently have on file for each player, per league sources.) 1.
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (6 feet 3 inches tall, 225 pounds)* Best traits: Almost everything Smith is the total package, and the different ways in which he can win are what makes him special.
With rare explosiveness for his size, he defeats the jam with power to discard press attempts.
Corners playing off coverage dont have much luck either because of Smiths acceleration to quickly build speed, set up his stem and separate vertically.
Using his talent and nuance, he destroys man coverage and picks apart zone.
And at the catch point, Smith is dominant.
He skillfully uses his frame, play strength and body control to readjust mid-air without losing focus.
Even when defenders maul him and draw flags, Smith uses his big, accepting hands to extend and finish through contact.
His toughness is evident in every category, from his routes to his catches and his blocking.
Smith has highlight plays from every game in his two seasons at Ohio State, but I chose two from last seasons Penn State tape because they illustrate the different ways he can win (and neither is his ridiculous, one-handed grab at the goal line from late in the game).
On this third-down, red-zone rep in the second quarter, Smith does an excellent job creating leverage on the skinny glance RPO.
He is unfazed by the contact from the corner, extends away from his frame to snatch the ball and then muscles his way into the end zone.
His physicality and balance make this touchdown look routine.
In the third quarter, Smith shows off his wheels to get behind the defense.
He explodes off the line to cleanly escape press and gets vertical to stack the corner.
The safety cant slow him down either, and Smith adjusts his path to track the deep ball into his hands.
Must improve: Loosening some routes Though there arent any concerning weaknesses in Smiths game, no prospect is perfect.
At times, he can get too physical mid-route; he can overpower or stiff-arm tacklers but isnt a make-you-miss ball carrier; and there are some routes of his that require extra polish.
Advertisement With his speed, physicality and know-how, I feel perfectly comfortable categorizing Smith as an above-average route runner.
He is very deliberate using his steps to manipulate coverage, but there are times when he is slightly stiff out of his transitions and gives defenders a beat to recover.
Again, this isnt a glaring concern, but rather an area in which he can continue to improve.
2027 NFL Draft outlook We are all guilty of falling into the evaluation trap of overexcitement about prospects, which leads to hyperbolic scouting statements and unattainable expectations.
But the boundless praise for Smith is absolutely warranted based on his first two seasons at Ohio State.
He has a prototypical skill set for the X position but can just as easily line up at the Z or slot or even in the backfield.
He wows with his size, speed and physical traits, along with his work ethic and mental preparation.
Smith also checks the box for production, as he produced a combined 27 receiving touchdowns over his freshman and sophomore seasons (over the past 15 years, only Davante Adams had more touchdown grabs in college in a two-year period).
Smith is a special player and enters the 2027 NFL Draft process as the clear No.
1 prospect in a loaded class.
When talking to scouts around the league, you hear lofty player comparisons, including to Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, who are both enshrined in Canton.
I have been scouting for almost two decades, and Smith has a decent chance to finish with the highest grade I have ever given to a wide receiver.
2.
Cam Coleman, Texas (6-3, 210)* Best trait: Graceful, big-man athleticism What makes Coleman unique is that he has the foot quickness and athleticism of a smaller athlete, but also the size and stretched-out frame to dunk on defensive backs.
With his long strides, Coleman wins off the line and quickly accelerates to create vertical separation and downshift, if needed, while tracking.
He is particularly effective on double moves (stutter-and-go, out-and-up, etc.), using his lithe movements and speed to roast corners.
Advertisement On the 2025 Oklahoma tape, Coleman had multiple wins via double moves.
The first route below results in a 46-yard chunk gain; the second should be a walk-in touchdown, but Colemans quarterback inexplicably overthrows him.
Must improve: Expanded route tree Coleman has the fluid movement skills to run every route in an NFL playbook.
He just hasnt been asked to do so in college.
Stuck in Auburns offense the last two seasons, Coleman ran a heavy dose of hitch-and-go routes (almost 65 percent of his patterns).
Because of his long, swift strides, it makes sense to get him vertical, but his ability to demonstrate route diversity in the short, intermediate and deep parts of the field will go a long way with NFL scouts.
2027 NFL Draft outlook Frustration.
That was the main takeaway when watching Colemans 2024 and 2025 tape, as he was regularly squandered in the Auburn offense.
That shouldnt be the case in 2026, now that hes in a Texas offense set up to feature him as the No.
1 target for quarterback Arch Manning.
Colemans athletic talent is undeniable and has been going back to his high school days.
Smith was the No.
1 player (across all positions) in the 2024 recruiting class, but Coleman wasnt far behind at No.
3.
In the mold of an A.J.
Green type of pass catcher, Coleman has freaky ability and can be a top-10 draft pick in the 2027 draft class, if he continues to develop as a junior.
3.
Charlie Becker, Indiana (6-3, 207)* Best trait: Ability to win one-on-one Even when he is covered, he is open might be the most flattering compliment you can offer a wide receiver and it is deserved for Becker.
Of the 113 FBS wide receivers with at least 15 contested targets last season, Becker ranked No.
1 with a 76.5 percent success rate (caught 13 of 17 contested targets).
Becker is just as dangerous decelerating and working back to the ball on a buttonhook as he is getting vertical on a runaway post.
Whatever the route, he is skilled at tracking, positioning himself and fighting through contact to win the catch point over defenders.
Advertisement Becker was at his best with 126 receiving yards against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, including this third-down catch before the two-minute warning that sealed the game for the Hoosiers: Sign me up for that level of acceleration and rangy ball skills.
Must improve: Separation tactics Given his success rate on back-shoulder and tight-window throws, Becker has proven that he doesnt need much separation to be productive.
But the more ways a receiver can create, the more dangerous he can be.
Becker tends to get upright in his drive phase, which often gives away his stem intentions and tips off defenders.
He plays with the physicality and quickness to win on curls and comebacks, but his route deception can be better as he sharpens the branches on his route tree.
Becker also played last season with the eventual No.
1 pick, Fernando Mendoza, a quarterback who was fearless throwing to spots regardless of the coverage.
That might not be the case in 2026.
2027 NFL Draft outlook This is a healthy ranking for a player with only 34 career catches, but Becker was a revelation over the final two months of the 2025 season.
Would the Hoosiers have secured the Big Ten title and national championship without him? Maybe, but well never know for sure.
Every Becker catch felt incredibly impactful during the title run 85.3 percent of his catches in 2025 resulted in a first down or touchdown.
After playing primarily on special teams in 2024 and for the first nine games of 2025, Becker stepped into an elevated role midseason for an injured Elijah Sarratt and became Mendozas big-play weapon.
Because of Beckers long strides, rangy ball skills and toughness, comparisons to NFL veteran receiver Alec Pierce are easy to make.
Last season, Becker averaged a whopping 23.4 yards on third-down catches, using his Pierce-like skill set to win vertically or in jump-ball situations.
Advertisement Even with a slight decline in quarterback play, big-play Becker has the talent to punch his ticket for the first round next April.
4.
Nick Marsh, Indiana (6-3, 213)* Best trait: Physical presence Marsh does a lot of things well.
His initial movements off the line are decisive and deliberate.
He is very controlled with his route-running steps and deftly uses his hands to escape coverage.
But the most common theme from each tape is his physicality.
Listed at 6-3, 213, Marsh is a commanding presence because of his competitive energy, galloping strides and physicality.
It shows in his routes, in his blocking and especially after the catch.
With the ball in his hands, Marsh is a chore for tacklers to get on the ground.
He ranked No.
3 in the FBS last season with 28 forced missed tackles, including a few on this touchdown versus Boston College: Must improve: Finishing catches There are several areas where scouts are hoping to see better consistency from Marsh in 2026, including cutting down on drops and becoming a better finisher with crowded catch points.
I charted at least one drop on each of the five tapes of Marsh I studied from last season (UCLA, Indiana, Michigan, Penn State, Maryland).
There were also several examples of him struggling to finish on contested targets, which was surprising considering his physicality.
2027 NFL Draft outlook Indianas offense lost a lot from last years national championship team, most notably its Heisman winner at quarterback.
The Hoosiers also had a pair of wide receivers drafted (Omar Cooper Jr.
and Sarratt), but there might not be much of a dropoff on the receiver depth chart.
Becker was already in the program, and Marsh arrived in Bloomington after two seasons at Michigan State, where he led the Spartans in receiving yards both years.
With his frame and physicality, Marsh can play the Sarratt role on some plays (slants, back shoulders) and the Cooper role (crossers, broken tackles) on others.
He also can get vertical and use his adjustment skills to keep defenders from sitting on short targets.
It will be interesting to track the chemistry between Marsh and quarterback Josh Hoover, two transfers who will need to adapt quickly.
5.
Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson (6-2, 190)* Best trait: Gliding speed Give Wesco a runway, and he can take it the distance.
He is a loose, twitched-up athlete with the light, long strides to quickly accelerate and glide.
Wesco starts fast and finishes faster, creating missed tackling angles and making it tough for defenses to recover after a misstep.
Advertisement Wesco logged at least one catch of 35-plus yards in five of the seven games he played in 2025, including this 73-yard catch-and-run versus Georgia Techs zone: Must improve: Physicality Listed at 6-2, 190, Wesco actually looks closer to 180 pounds with his lean, stringy muscle tone.
That lack of mass shows when he attempts to fight through press or break tackles after the catch.
It can also hinder his ability to maintain focus and power through contact at the catch point.
2027 NFL Draft outlook Highly recruited out of Texas, Wesco made an immediate impact at Clemson as a Freshman All-American and was on pace for a 1,000-yard receiving season over the first six games of 2025.
Unfortunately, he suffered a spinal contusion on a punt return and missed the final six games of his sophomore year.
He returned healthy this past spring, and all signs point to him being full-go in 2026.
There were multiple wide receiver prospects deserving of this fifth spot, but I gave Wesco the edge because of his speed.
The son of two college track athletes, he is one of the most gifted wide receivers in college football and will be in the early-round discussion if he can continue adding bulk and play strength.
Preseason top 25 senior wide receivers: 1.
Evan Stewart, Oregon (5-11, 171) 2.
Cooper Barkate, Miami (6-1, 195) 3.
Omarion Miller, Arizona State (6-1, 209) 4.
Eric Singleton Jr., Florida (5-9, 187) 5.
Duce Robinson, Florida State (6-6, 229) 6.
Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma (5-10, 188) 7.
DeAndre Moore Jr., Colorado (6-0, 191) 8.
Nyck Harbor, South Carolina (6-6, 243) 9.
Devin McCuin, Ohio State (5-11, 192) 10.
Amare Thomas, Houston (5-11, 204) 11.
Isaiah Horton, Texas A&M (6-3, 212) 12.
Tre Richardson, Louisville (5-9, 170) 13.
Chase Hendricks, California (5-10, 195) 14.
Griffin Wilde, Northwestern (6-2, 197) 15.
Brandon Inniss, Ohio State (6-0, 198) 16.
Jordan Faison, Notre Dame (5-10, 182) 17.
Junior Sherrill, Vanderbilt (5-10, 200) 18.
Ian Strong, California (6-4, 216) 19.
Chris Marshall, Arkansas (6-2, 224) 20.
Anthony Evans III, Mississippi State (5-11, 178) 21.
Chase Sowell, Penn State (6-3, 208) 22.
Trell Harris, Oklahoma (6-0, 201) 23.
Jayce Brown, LSU (5-11, 171) 24.
London Humphreys, Georgia (6-2, 198) 25.
DJ Black, South Carolina (6-2, 192) Top 15 draft-eligible underclassmen WRs: 1.
Smith 2.
Coleman 3.
Becker 4.
Marsh 5.
Wesco 6.
Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama (6-0, 175) 7.
KJ Duff, Rutgers (6-5, 225) 8.
Mario Craver, Texas A&M (5-10, 180) 9.
Deuce Alexander, Ole Miss (6-0, 180) 10.
T.J.
Moore, Clemson (6-3, 194) 11.
Ryan Wingo, Texas (6-2, 210) 12.
Reed Harris, Arizona State (6-4, 220) 13.
Mike Matthews, Tennessee (6-1, 200) 14.
Wyatt Young, Oklahoma State (6-0, 200) 15.
Braylon Staley, Tennessee (6-1, 200).