The Las Vegas Raiders did quite well in the 2026 NFL Draft, but there are only so many needs that can be addressed in one year. And the way that things played out, unfotunately for much of the fanbase, taking a wide receiver didn't make sense until later on Day 3.
While the Raiders' wide receiver depth chart has a lot to like overall heading into the 2026 NFL season, a true alpha "WR1" just isn't there. Barring a surprising big trade, or an in-house player coming relatively out of nowhere, that isn't going to change before Week 1.
So naturally, a lot of early 2027 mock drafts have the Raiders addressing that need for a WR1 in the first round. It's fair to assume that finding that piece to complete the set of talent around Fernando Mendoza will be a special focus for John Spytek in 2027.
And in an early mock draft, Las Vegas landed Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, the belle of the ball for pass-catchers in the 2027 class and the best possible option to fill the Raiders' remaining void at wide receiver.
Early 2027 mock has fortune smiling on the Raiders in search for their alpha WR
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report gave the Raiders the sixth overall pick in 2027. While that might actually be too late to get who is currently viewed as the top wide receiver prospect in next year's class, Sobleski had it coming together for the Raiders with Smith still available for the taking.
"Jeremiah Smith is an elite wide receiver prospect who is in a tier of his own entering next season. He has been the best receiver in college football since his freshman season with Ohio State, which almost certainly isn't going to change.
"Smith is everything the NFL wants in a truly special pass-catcher. He has the requisite speed, acceleration, route running/separation, strength, football IQ and ball skills.
"The 20-year-old is a franchise-changing talent listed at 6'3" and 223 pounds, with 4.4 speed. He is nightmare fuel for defensive coordinators and anyone tasked with facing him in one-on-one coverage."
"The Las Vegas Raiders chose Fernando Mendoza with this year's first overall pick. The plan is to hand him the keys in 2027 if everything with Kirk Cousins goes to plan. Smith's addition alongside Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers, and Mendoza instantly makes the Raiders' offense an explosive unit to reckon with. It's the best-case scenario to maximize Mendoza's development."
It feels like we've been waiting for Smith to be draft-eligible for a long time, but he has only played two years for the Buckeyes. He has been considered a generational wide receiver prospect from the start, and he has delivered on that promise with elite production.
If Smith stays healthy in what is expected to be his final season in Columbus, he'll be a slam-dunk top-10, if not top-five, pick in the 2027 draft. Oddly enough, there is a chance that the Raiders aren't picking high enough next April to draft Smith.
But if they are, or Smith is still available when they are on the clock in the first round, they shouldn't take long to make that pick.
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