Todd McShay Drops New 2027 NFL Draft Primer Featuring Jeremiah Smith, Prospects to Watch

There has been no shortage of discussion about how loaded the 2027 NFL draft will be, even almost a year out from the event, and insider Todd McShay dropped a primer and prospect watch list previewing all that available talent.

On the latest episode of the Todd McShay Show, he provided players to know for various position groups. 

Importantly, he clarified "I'm not saying these are the top-five players at the positon. But these are the five guys I believe you need to know" (six-minute mark).

Here is a look at those players (running backs at six minutes, wide receivers at nine minutes, tight ends at 13 minutes, offensive linemen at 15 minutes, edge/interior defensive linemen at 16 minutes and linebackers at 21 minutes).

Running Backs
1	Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami
2	LJ Martin, BYU
3	Jadan Baugh, Florida
4	CJ Baxter, Kentucky
5	Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech
Wide Receivers
1	Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
2	Cam Coleman, Texas
3	Duce Robinson, Florida State
4	T.J. Moore, Clemson
5	Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama
Tight Ends
1	Trey'Dez Green, LSU
2	Terrance Carter Jr., Texas Tech
3	Lawson Luckie, Georgia
4	Garrett Oakley, Kansas State
5	Jamari Johnson, Oregon
Offensive Linemen
1	Jordan Seaton, LSU
2	Trevor Goosby, Texas
3	Blake Frazier, Michigan
4	Austin Siereveld, Ohio State
5	Collin Sadler, Clemson
Edge/Interior Defensive Linemen
1	Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
2	Colin Simmons, Texas
3	A'Mauri Washington, Oregon
4	Will Heldt, Clemson
5	AJ Holmes Jr., Texas Tech
Linebackers
1	Rasheem Biles, Texas
2	Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame
3	Kip Lewis, Oklahoma
4	Whit Weeks, LSU
5	Arion Carter, Tennessee

While the quarterbacks are missing at first glance, McShay explained his plan is to "do a deep dive" into the position Thursday.

Quarterback figures to be a headlining position in the 2027 draft with players such as Arch Manning, Darian Mensah, Dante Moore, LaNorris Sellers, CJ Carr, Julian Sayin and Jayden Maiava, among others, all as notable names.

In fact, an early mock draft from B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected Mensah, Manning, Moore and Sellers to be the first four picks of the 2027 draft with Texas offensive tackle Trevor Goosby and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith going Nos. 5 and 6, respectively.

Smith might be the name to watch if someone besides a quarterback is going to elevate to the No. 1 pick.

"Jeremiah Smith is one of one in the entire class," McShay said (8:15 mark). "If you said you can draft the best player from this draft right now, including quarterbacks, just the best player, it's Jeremiah Smith."

Notably, Smith and McShay's No. 2 wide receiver to watch in Texas' Cam Coleman will face each other during the 2026 college football season, but it is the Buckeyes playmaker who appears to have the edge at this point through two dominant seasons of play.

Smith already has a national championship and two years of more than 1,200 receiving yards and double-digit touchdown catches on his resume and could be even better in 2026.

If he is, it will only add another layer of excitement to a highly anticipated 2027 draft class.