10 former Florida high school stars to watch for 2027 NFL Draft

The Sunshine State was well represented in the 2026 NFL Draft , with 11 players from Florida high schools selected in the first 65 picks. Five players from Florida high schools were selected in the first round, led by No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza heading to the Las Vegas Raiders .

Mendoza (Christopher Columbus High School graduate) is the first player from a Florida high school to be selected atop the draft since Tucker Frederickson in 1965. IMG Academy extended its streak of having a first round pick to an NFL record seven years with a pair of top 10 picks: Carnell Tate (No. 4 to Tennessee) and Francis Mauigoa (No.

10 to the New York Giants) . The 2027 class is shaping up to be another strong one for players from Florida high schools. While the draft is a year away and it's too soon to start penciling in names — few if any even had Mendoza as a potential first round pick 12 months ago — there are some players who have impressed and appear headed for the early round of the 2027 NFL Draft.

Here are 10 names of former Florida high school stars to know for next year's draft: Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith High school: Chaminade-Madonna The 6-foot-3, 223-pound Smith is a generational talent who almost certainly would have been the No. 1 wide receiver taken in the 2025 or 2026 drafts if he was eligible. Smith has caught 163 passes for 2,558 yards in two years and earned All-American honors both seasons at Ohio State.