Ohio State is poised to make noise once again in the NFL draft next year.
One year out from the 2027 NFL draft, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is widely considered to be the No. 1 overall prospect in the class. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is also a candidate to be one of the draft’s top picks.
Beyond them, the Buckeyes have plenty of other upperclassmen with the potential to be NFL draft picks a year from now. They’ll need to have a couple of breakout stars to match their total of four first-round picks from the last two drafts, but a third straight draft with double-digit draft selections looks like a real possibility, as there are plenty of players with NFL potential in the Buckeyes’ 20-man senior class.
With the 2026 NFL draft now complete, we’re taking a first look at Ohio State’s prospects to watch for the 2027 NFL draft. We’ll start with a look at the Buckeyes’ top two prospects, followed by the next three Buckeyes who will enter the season as the most likely candidates to join them as early-round picks, then highlight 11 more seniors who should be on NFL teams’ radars with the potential to move up the board if they shine for the Buckeyes in 2026.
Top Prospects
Jeremiah Smith, WR
Smith could sit out the entire 2026 season and he’d still be a top-five pick next year. Fortunately for Ohio State, Smith has no plans to do that and will star for the Buckeyes for one more year before he goes to the NFL. But he’s as much of a lock to be a top draft pick as one can be a full year before he becomes draft-eligible.
Generational talent is an overused term, but Smith is one of the few players truly worthy of that descriptor. A 6-foot-3, 223-pound wideout with elite speed, separation skill and spectacular-catch ability, Smith has been the best receiver in college football since he was a freshman. He very likely would have been the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft if he had been eligible, and he’s the heavy favorite to be the first non-quarterback drafted in 2027.
Julian Sayin, QB
As great as Smith is, there’s still a chance he won’t even be the first Buckeye drafted. That’s because top quarterbacks are usually the first players off the board, and Sayin is among those in the running to be the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 NFL draft.
The most accurate passer in college football last season, Sayin’s ability to process the game from the pocket and throw the ball to all levels of the field with precision gives him NFL franchise quarterback potential.
He’s not as big or athletic as Texas’ Arch Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore – the two quarterbacks commonly projected to be the top two QBs in early 2027 mock drafts – and Sayin will need to improve outside of the pocket and making plays with his legs to solidify himself as a top pick. But he was a better college quarterback than both of them last year, and another prolific season in 2026 will give him a great chance to join Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud as Ohio State’s fourth top-15 pick at quarterback in nine years.
Potential Early-Rounders
Jaylen McClain, S
He’s not being talked about a ton nationally yet as a 2027 NFL draft prospect – probably because he’s a true junior who wasn’t a highly touted recruit out of high school – but if I were putting together a ranking of Ohio State’s top draft-eligible players right now, McClain would be the No. 3 player on my list.
McClain was quietly excellent in the shadow of Caleb Downs last season and will now be the centerpiece of Ohio State’s defense in 2026. His combination of hard-hitting tackling and excellence in run support, paired with his deep coverage ability, makes him a well-rounded strong safety for the modern game.
Much like Downs this year, McClain will have to overcome the perceived lesser value of safeties compared to other positions early in the draft. He may have to establish himself as the draft’s top safety like Downs did to become a first-round pick. But if he can build upon his consistent play in 2025 and become even more of a playmaker as Ohio State’s top safety in 2026, he’ll be a strong candidate to go in the second or third round if he enters the draft early.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr., DE
Going into last season, Smith and Sonny Styles predicted at Big Ten Media Days that Jackson would be a first-round NFL draft pick. A quiet start to the year prevented that from becoming reality, but Jackson showed flashes of that ability in the second half of the season, recording nine tackles for loss with 5.5 sacks in Ohio State’s final nine games.
An explosive athlete at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Jackson might have the highest NFL upside of any of Ohio State’s defensive ends of the last three years, which included second-round pick JT Tuimoloau, fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer and sixth-round pick Caden Curry. Had he entered the 2025 NFL draft, he likely would have been a middle-round pick. But if he can put it all together and become a dominant player as a fifth-year senior, a rise into the draft’s top 32 picks isn’t out of the question.
Austin Siereveld, OL
Siereveld established himself as an NFL prospect last season with an excellent year as Ohio State’s starting left tackle, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors while surrendering zero sacks.
Like Ohio State this year, NFL teams will have to decide whether Siereveld is best suited to play tackle or guard. The interior seems likely to be his long-term home, but proving he could play the premier position on the offensive line last year significantly increased his draft value as a versatile multi-position prospect. Another strong season leading Ohio State’s offensive line in 2026 – whether at left tackle or right guard – should solidify the 6-foot-5, 325-pound redshirt junior as a top-100 pick if he enters the 2027 draft.
Seniors Who Could Surge
Luke Montgomery, G
From an attributes standpoint, Montgomery might have the highest ceiling of Ohio State’s offensive linemen as an NFL prospect. Possessing quick feet and plenty of power at 6-foot-5 and 312 pounds, Montgomery has the physical makeup of an NFL starter. Whether he can translate that into consistently dominant play as a senior will make the difference between being an early-round pick or a Day 3 pick.
Earl Little Jr., S
Little initially announced he’d enter the 2026 NFL draft before opting to transfer to Ohio State instead, suggesting his draft grade wasn’t as high as he thought it would be. A year in Matt Patricia’s defense, however, could do wonders for his NFL stock.
The former Florida State safety is expected to do a little bit of everything for Ohio State’s defense this year – covering slot receivers as a nickelback, dropping back into coverage as a deep safety and lining up closer to the line of scrimmage at times – and he generated a lot of buzz for how well he performed in his first spring as a Buckeye. If he proves capable of playing all of those roles effectively while showing the same playmaking ability he did as a Seminole last year, he could emerge as one of the 2027 draft’s top safeties.
Jermaine Mathews Jr., CB
Mathews may have had good reason to enter last year’s NFL draft if he had finished the season stronger. Disappointing performances against Indiana and Miami gave him plenty to prove entering his senior year, but his athleticism, ball skills and versatility to play both outside and in the slot are all traits that should impress NFL scouts. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior projects as a middle-round cornerback prospect right now with the potential to rise if he’s consistent in coverage and makes a bigger impact in run defense in 2026.
James Smith, DT
A five-star recruit who spent three years at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State this offseason, Smith looks the part of an NFL defensive tackle at 6-foot-2 and 314 pounds. He likely would have been a late-round pick if he had entered the 2026 NFL draft, as he wasn’t consistently dominant in Tuscaloosa. But Smith has the size, power and explosiveness to make a big climb up draft boards and be one of next year’s top defensive tackles if Larry Johnson can unlock his full potential as a senior.
Terry Moore, S
Moore looked like a future NFL safety at Duke in 2024, when Pro Football Focus graded him as the best safety in the entire Power 4, before he missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL. The 6-foot, 200-pound fifth-year senior made plays all over the field as a rangy free safety for the Blue Devils, recording 71 tackles with seven tackles for loss and four interceptions in 2024; if he returns to that form in 2026, he’ll give himself a great chance to get drafted in 2027.
Christian Alliegro, LB
Arvell Reese elevated his draft stock more than any other Buckeye in 2025, going from backup linebacker in 2024 to the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and Alliegro will be playing the same hybrid linebacker/edge rusher role for Ohio State this year that Reese did last year. Alliegro isn’t the Monstar of an athlete that Reese is, but he was playing like a future NFL linebacker last season at Wisconsin until he broke his arm against Ohio State. Patricia’s defense will give him plenty of opportunities to make plays, and the 6-foot-4, 241-pound transfer could make himself a middle-round draft pick if he thrives in that role.
Carson Hinzman, C
Hinzman is another Buckeye who thought about entering the 2026 NFL draft, but was projected to be a late-round pick and ultimately decided to return. Now a fifth-year senior with more than two years of starting experience at Ohio State, Hinzman has the athleticism to be an NFL center and made significant strides in 2025 after struggling early in his career, but he still needs to become more of a road-grader in the run game to elevate his stock above the late rounds.
Brandon Inniss, WR
Inniss said this spring that his goal is to be a first-round pick. Realistically, he’s more likely to be a late-round pick right now after gaining only 271 yards and three touchdowns on 36 catches last season. His route-running skill, strength and toughness give him a chance to be an NFL receiver, but he needs to make more explosive plays as a senior to move up draft boards. That said, the former five-star recruit has shown the capability in practice to be more of an impact player than he’s been, and he should have a bigger role in the offense as Ohio State’s projected No. 2 receiver in 2026.
Devin McCuin, WR
With a reported 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds, McCuin certainly has the speed to be an NFL receiver. He’s shown he can be dynamic after the catch and make defenders miss in the open field with his agility, too, but now he has to prove it at the Big Ten level after transferring to Ohio State from UTSA.
His chances of being drafted will depend in part on how big a role he has in Ohio State’s offense this season, as he faces stiff competition from five-star freshman Chris Henry Jr. and redshirt junior LSU transfer Kyle Parker for a starting job alongside Smith and Inniss, but his athleticism and production at UTSA will have him on NFL scouts’ radar as a potential Day 3 pick entering the season.
Mason Williams, TE
Williams is attempting to follow the same path as Will Kacmarek, who was selected in the third round of this year’s draft after transferring to Ohio State from Ohio University. Williams will need to have a huge 2026 season to go that high in the draft, as he’ll have only one season as a Buckeye compared to two for Kacmarek, and he’s not quite as big as Kacmarek at 6-foot-4 and 247 pounds.
Williams is a strong blocker like Kacmarek, though, and Kacmarek’s selection in Round 3 showed the value NFL teams place on tight ends who excel in that area of the game. If he can make a big impact as a blocker for Ohio State in 2026, he’ll at least have a shot to be a late-round pick.
Beau Atkinson, DE
Atkinson didn’t play like an NFL defensive end in his first season at Ohio State, but he looked more explosive and powerful this spring after going through his first winter workouts with Mickey Marotti. He has NFL size at 6-foot-6 and 258 pounds, and Johnson said he’s made a “360” turnaround with how well he’s developed this offseason. If he can parlay that improvement into winning the starting job opposite Jackson and putting together a productive senior season, he could make himself into a Day 3 draft pick like Curry did last season.
