What the Seattle Seahawks get in WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba brings a dynamic to Seattle that has been a long time coming.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the first wide receiver off the board to the Seattle Seahawks at pick No. 20. And, if you aren't a stranger to his game, you'll see Smith-Njigba deserves it.
The Ohio State product will be a legitimate third wide receiver to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. And that is something the Seahawks haven't had in years.
But that isn't all, Smith-Njigba brings catch radius and polish to his game that most receivers simply don't possess coming out of college.
The 6-foot-1 wideout boasts polished route running, strong hands, and great contested-catch ability that should immediately translate into the NFL. But most impressive is the fact that Smith-Njigba brings an impressive catch radius and 50/50 ball-winning ability to an NFL offense in desperate need of just that.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports described the pick as the following: "The Seahawks needed to get help at the receiver spot and they are getting a guy some consider the best in the class. I don't, but he's a good player. He will help Geno Smith a bunch to go with Metcalf and Tyler Lockett."
Smith-Njigba burst on the scene in the 2022 Rose Bowl, a game in which he exploded for 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns in the 48-45 shootout between the Buckeyes and Utah Utes.
He filled in seamlessly after Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson chose to forgo the game for the NFL Draft. The Seahawks are buying what Smith-Njigba's performance sold to the football world. And in spending a first-round pick on a receiver who earned third-team All-American and All-Big Ten honors in 2021 before playing sparingly in his final season, it is clear that Seattle is all-in on offense.
Smith-Njigba will join Devon Witherspoon as the prospects Seattle hopes can push its team from fringe playoff team to title contender in 2023. In Smith-Njigba, however, Seattle has a real star threat at wide receiver.
