Marvin Harrison Jr.: OSU WR Jeremiah Smith Would Be Top-3 NFL Draft Pick as Freshman

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. believes Ohio State freshman Jeremiah Smith is a future top-three pick in the NFL draft.

Harrison declared his confidence in Smith on Saturday after the Buckeyes receiver caught two touchdown passes in his college debut.

Smith made four catches for 44 yards and two touchdowns in his first five drives with the Buckeyes.

The freshman wideout followed that up with a 45-yard catch on a scoring drive to start out the second half.

Those plays represented a bounce-back for Smith after he dropped the ball on his first target by quarterback Will Howard.

Smith appeared to settle in more as the game went on and he looked more like the prospect ranked No. 1 in the country by 247Sports heading into the 2024-25 season.

Ohio State is no stranger to sending wide receivers to the top of the NFL Draft, including 2022 No. 10 selection Garrett Wilson and 2023 No. 20 pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Harrison is Ohio State's most recent NFL wideout development success story after his three seasons for the Buckeyes between 2021 and 2023.

After finishing his junior season with 2,613 career receiving yards for 31 touchdowns, Harrison declared for the 2024 NFL draft and was selected at No. 4 by the Cardinals.

Smith is already on track to become the next elite Buckeyes wideout after he earned a place in the starting lineup against Akron. That made him the first true freshman to start an Ohio State season opener since cornerback Denzel Burke in 2021 (h/t Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors.)

Harrison is set to make his NFL debut when the Cardinals play the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8 on the road, but he will need to wait at least three seasons until Smith joins him in the league. The 18-year-old wideout will be eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft at the earliest.