Jaxon Smith-Njigba | OSU 6’01” 196 lbs. | 02/14/2002 (21)
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, becoming the first Wide Receiver and 20th overall player in the 2023 NFL Draft.
COLLEGE PRODUCTION
JSN was a receiver for Ohio State who had an insane sophomore year where he put up 1600 yards and nine touchdowns on 95 receptions. The important part is that he did this with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave as teammates. JSN outshined two players at the same time who we have seen have very impressive rookie seasons in the NFL already, and he did it while younger than them, in his first year as a starter. JSN crushes the important metrics like Breakout age, Early Declare status, and yards per team pass attempt. I consider him to be an elite prospect and he will be my top-ranked wide receiver of the class no matter what.
ANALYTICS AND FILM
I live and breathe in the numbers when playing fantasy and JSN is a player that pops in the sheets. But you still need to incorporate film to have any chance at a useful process. The consensus of my trusted film guys is that JSN is a skilled route runner that knows how to create separation and get open. In addition, he is good in space after he gets the ball. To me, Jaxon is the total package and the best WR on film and in analytics this year. His hit rates for me are as follows: Elite – 55.6%, Good 33.3%, Usable 11.1%, for an overall hit rate of 100%, and a Good+ hit rate of 88.9%. I got these numbers by combining Early Declare, 2.9+ Y/TPA, and top-20 draft capital. JSN is a special prospect, do not take him lightly.
ATHLETIC TESTING
At the combine, Jaxon Smith-Njigba measured 6’01” and 196 lbs. He ran a good enough 40-time at 4.52 but excelled at the shuttle and three-cone where he boasted times of 9.92 and 9.89. These performances led to an overall Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.34 which is above average.
DRAFT ANALYSIS
Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Great
Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Average
Njigba was selected with the 20th-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.
FANTASY INSIGHTS
I have JSN ranked as my number one wide receiver in this class, currently at the 1.05 spot overall. If he had received a better landing spot I could have bumped him up to 1.04, but I am now slightly concerned about his year-one prospects. I am not worried long term though, as Jaxon Smith is a great prospect and I think he will find great success in the league. Draft him without worry.
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