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One of Jeremiah Smith’s former Ohio State teammates just gave him a compliment that adds to the hype that the wide receiver will be an immediate star in the NFL when he makes the jump next year. While the early speculation about the 2027 NFL Draft is that quarterbacks could be the first three picks, that doesn’t mean they are the best players available. To many college football observers, the top talent in the sport right now is Ohio State’s No. 1 receiver, Smith. And it’s understandable why, after back-to-back seasons with over 1,200 receiving yards during his first two years in Columbus. Although the Big Ten is, arguably, the best conference in college football, he is still going up against a lower level of competition compared to the NFL. Plus, there have been many dominant college receivers who disappointed at the next level. Including his predecessor and Buckeyes great, Marvin Harrison Jr. Caleb Downs suggests Jeremiah Smith is just as good as CeeDee Lamb right now However, one person who can give a great gauge of how good Smith can be at the next level is his former Ohio State teammate and new starting Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs. The defensive back had a fantastic career at OSU, and it is why he was taken 11th overall in April. He faced Smith in practice for two years and is now battling a pair of Pro Bowl receivers every day this summer: CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Downs has gotten to see the difference between a really good college receiver and a top-shelf pass catcher in the pros. However, during an appearance on The Pivot podcast, he claimed there isn’t much of a difference in talent between Smith, Lamb, and Pickens. “You’re not going to like this, probably, but he’s there [with Lamb and Pickens],” Downs said. “He’s different, though. [Pickens’] ball skills; everything is crazy. CeeDee’s [skills] as a route runner and as an all-around football player. But Jeremiah has — when you say freakishly athletic and then match that with a really good ball player too — it’s different.” That is quite the compliment, and it will certainly make teams projected to land him in Round 1 of next year’s draft drool in anticipation of having him on their teams.