Carter Smith, OT, Indiana
Position: Offensive Tackle
School: Indiana
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 310 pounds
Hometown: Powell, Ohio
High School: Olentangy Liberty
Class: Fifth-Year Senior
Jersey: No. 65
When discussing the best offensive tackle prospects eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft, Indiana's Carter Smith deserves to be near the front of the conversation.
Smith does not necessarily overwhelm you with rare size or freakish athletic traits. What makes him interesting is something NFL teams value just as much at offensive tackle: he knows how to block.
Smith has developed into one of the most accomplished offensive linemen in college football, with outstanding experience at left tackle, excellent balance, disciplined technique and the ability to contribute in both the running and passing games. He entered the 2026 season having started 41 consecutive games at left tackle, and he is coming off a 2025 season in which he earned consensus All-American honors and became the first Indiana player to win the Big Ten's Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year award. Indiana University Athletics
For Sportsvival, Smith enters the 2027 evaluation process as a legitimate potential first-round offensive tackle.
BACKGROUND AND RECRUIT PROFILE
Smith came to Indiana from Olentangy Liberty High School in Powell, Ohio. He was ranked as the No. 18 prospect in Ohio by 247Sports and earned first-team All-Ohio honors as a senior. Interestingly, Smith also lettered in volleyball, and some of the movement ability and body control required in that sport can still be seen in the way he operates along the offensive line. Indiana University Athletics
He appeared in two games as a freshman in 2022 before redshirting, then took over Indiana's starting left tackle job in 2023.
Smith has barely given it back since.
COLLEGE CAREER
Smith started all 12 games at left tackle in 2023, then started all 13 in 2024. Indiana's offensive transformation under Curt Cignetti took Smith's profile to another level, and the Hoosiers' offensive line became one of the strengths of the program.
The breakthrough came in 2025.
Smith started all 16 games for Indiana's national championship team and helped anchor an offensive line that produced six 300-yard rushing performances, the most in a season in school history. Indiana opened the season with four consecutive 300-yard rushing games. Indiana University Athletics
Smith's individual honors were just as impressive.
He was a consensus All-American, first-team All-Big Ten selection, Outland Trophy finalist and Big Ten Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year. Indiana's official records credit him with becoming the school's first offensive lineman to earn first-team all-conference recognition since 1987 and its first offensive tackle to do it since 1977. Indiana University Athletics
Instead of entering the NFL Draft following Indiana's national championship season, Smith returned to Bloomington for another year.
That gave him an opportunity to enter the 2027 class as one of its most experienced offensive linemen.
2026 SEASON
Smith remains Indiana's starting left tackle and one of the leaders of the defending national champions.
Through the early portion of the season, the protection has remained solid. PFF credited Smith with allowing just one pressure and no sacks through his first 155 offensive snaps of 2026. PFF
Indiana also named Smith one of its captains for the September 25 win over Northwestern, another indication of the role he has developed within the program. Indiana University Athletics
At this point, NFL scouts already have a huge amount of Smith tape. The 2026 season is less about proving he belongs in the draft conversation and more about determining how early he should be selected and whether he can remain at left tackle in the NFL.
WHAT SPORTSVIVAL LIKES
Pass Protection
This is where Smith's game starts.
He is a very polished pass protector who rarely looks uncomfortable. His sets are controlled, his feet stay underneath him and he understands how to cut off the edge without unnecessarily opening the inside rush lane.
Smith surrendered only nine pressures during Indiana's 2025 championship season according to NFL Draft Buzz's charting. NFL Draft Buzz
He wins with technique instead of simply relying on being bigger or more athletic than the player across from him.
Balance
One of Smith's best traits is his balance.
You don't see him constantly lunging, falling forward or ending up on the ground. He generally stays square, keeps his base underneath him and forces defenders to work through him.
That gives Smith a chance to recover even when he does not initially win the rep.
Hand Placement
Smith's hands are another strength.
He gets his punch into defenders quickly and has shown the ability to re-establish his hands when an edge rusher initially wins leverage. Once Smith gets his hands attached properly, he can be difficult to disengage from.
Movement Skills
Smith moves well enough to be used outside the tackle box.
Indiana has asked him to climb to linebackers, work combination blocks and get involved on screens. His movement is controlled rather than spectacular, but he usually arrives at the proper angle and understands who he is supposed to block.
His ability to reach and control second-level defenders is one of the reasons Sportsvival likes him as more than just a pass protector.
Experience
There might not be another top offensive tackle in the class with Smith's combination of experience and big-game exposure.
Ohio State. Oregon. Alabama. Miami. College Football Playoff games. A national championship.
Smith has already faced the kind of defensive fronts NFL evaluators want to see.
That matters.
AREAS SMITH CAN IMPROVE
Length
This could become the biggest question surrounding Smith during the draft process.
At 6-foot-5 and roughly 310 pounds, his overall size is fine, but multiple scouting evaluations have questioned whether his arm length will be ideal for an NFL left tackle. Longer pass rushers can occasionally get into his chest before Smith can establish control. Draftanomics
His official measurements at the NFL Combine will be extremely important.
Power Rushers
Smith's technique is good enough to compensate for many physical disadvantages, but powerful edge defenders can occasionally walk him backward.
He needs to continue strengthening his anchor so NFL defenders cannot consistently convert speed into power and collapse the pocket.
Elite Edge Speed
Smith has enough foot quickness for tackle, but he is not an elite athlete.
NFL speed rushers will test how quickly he can get to his landmark. When Smith becomes overly concerned with protecting the outside corner, he can become vulnerable to counters back inside.
That battle could determine whether teams view him strictly as a left tackle or as an offensive lineman capable of playing several positions. Draftanomics
NFL COMPARISON
Rashawn Slater
This is a style comparison, not a prediction that Smith will become the same caliber of NFL player.
When Rashawn Slater came out of Northwestern, there were questions about whether his dimensions were ideal for left tackle. What made Slater work was outstanding technique, balance, intelligence, hand usage and the ability to remain square against pass rushers.
There are similarities with Smith.
Smith may never be the longest or most explosive tackle on the field, but his technique allows him to consistently win reps against players with better raw physical traits.
Like Slater, Smith also possesses enough movement skills and football intelligence that an NFL team could feel comfortable moving him inside if necessary.
Sportsvival would give Smith every opportunity to remain at left tackle first.
2027 NFL DRAFT PROJECTION
Carter Smith enters the heart of the 2026 season looking like one of the better offensive tackle prospects available for the 2027 NFL Draft.
PFF ranked Smith as its No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 8 overall player in an early 2027 evaluation published after the 2026 draft. Other outlets have been less aggressive, showing that there is still plenty of disagreement about exactly where Smith fits among the top tackles. PFF
Sportsvival sees a player with starter-level NFL traits, outstanding experience and one of the safer résumés among the offensive linemen currently eligible.
The biggest remaining question is measurements.
If Smith checks the boxes with his arm length and continues playing at a high level against the best competition on Indiana's schedule, there is no reason he cannot work himself firmly into the first-round conversation.
Projected Round: First Round pick
Sportsvival Early Grade: First Round
Position Projection: Starting NFL Left Tackle
NFL Comparison: Rashawn Slater
SPORTSVIVAL FINAL TAKE
Carter Smith might not be the offensive tackle prospect who walks into the Combine and blows everyone away with his measurements.
Put on the tape, though, and there is a lot to like.
He is experienced. He is technically sound. He stays balanced. His hands are disciplined. He understands protection. He can move in the running game. Most importantly, Smith has proven that he can hold up against high-level competition while protecting the blind side for a championship-caliber football team.
The 2027 offensive tackle class could become a very strong one, with players such as Carter Smith, Trevor Goosby, Cayden Green and Jordan Seaton all having NFL starting potential.
Smith's case will be simple.
If NFL teams believe the length is good enough to leave him at left tackle, Carter Smith has a legitimate chance to hear his name called on the first night of the 2027 NFL Draft.
If not for sports, how would we survive?