Rookie Profile: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba - WR - Ohio State

Listed Measurables:

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 196 LBS

Arms: 30 1/2"

Hands: 9"

Age: 20.9 Y/O

Early Declare: Yes

Breakout Age: 19.0

2023 NFL Combine Grades:

40 Yard Dash: N/A

10 Yard Split: N/A

Bench Press: N/A

Vertical Jump: 35"

Broad Jump: 10'5"

3 Cone Drill: 6.57s

20 Yd Shuttle: 3.93s

ohiostatebuckeyes.com

Career Notes:

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was born and raised in Rockwell, Texas, attending the local high school where he first laid the groundwork to become one of the nation's top prospects. The young star first popped up on recruiting maps when he led the state with 97 receptions for 1,828 yards and 20 touchdowns at 16 years old. The following year, Smith-Njigba was awarded the Texas Gatorade Football Player of the Year after catching an absurd 104 passes for 2094 yards and 35 touchdowns. The top-rated recruit was named a consensus All-American, earning an invite to the 2019 All-American bowl where he showcased his talents for the powerhouse programs in attendance. Smith-Njigba’s other-worldly high-school stats rightfully earned him a five-star prospect rating as the number five ranked wide receiver recruit in his class. He committed to Ohio State after receiving notable offers from Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Nebraska.

Accolades:

•2019 Landry Award (High School)

•5 Star Recruit

•2021 Third Team All-American

•2021 Third Team All-Big 10

•2022 Rose Bowl MVP

•Single Game OSU REC Record (15)

•Single Season OSU REC YDS Record (1,606)

•Led Ohio State in REC/TGT/REC YDS as a 19 Y/O Sophomore

Past Production/Collegiate Career:

Smith-Njigba saw limited playing time as a true freshman on an Ohio State offense stacked with soon-to-be first-round NFL draft picks. He suited up for only seven games, catching 10 passes for 49 yards and one touchdown. The following year Smith-Njigba erupted with a record-shattering sophomore season.

Ohio State opened the season with Smith-Njigba as their starting slot receiver, anchoring the young wideout with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson on either side of the formation. It did not take long for the star sophomore to overtake his teammates. In just the second week of the 2021 collegiate season, Smith-Njigba recorded 15 receptions for 240 yards (1 TD), breaking the single-game school record for most receptions while setting the second-highest mark at the program for receiving yards in a single contest. Later that season, he set both an Ohio State single-game and FBS Bowl record for receiving yards with 347, matching his single-game school reception record with 15. Smith-Njigba also surpassed Ohio State legend David Boston after his emphatic Rose Bowl performance, marking a new single-season receiving yards record at the school with 1,606.

Unfortunately, the well-warranted hype would come crashing down during his junior season. The uber-productive slot receiver was only able to suit up for three games due to lingering knee/hamstring/ankle injuries. Nevertheless, Smith-Njigba elected to declare early for the 2023 NFL Draft, despite his limited final season of production.

Stats to Know:

OSU Football

• Ran 88.6% of his routes from the slot during his collegiate career.

• Out-produced the number 10 and number 11 selections of the 2022 NFL draft on the same Collegiate team at the age of 19.

• 4.26 Yards per Route Run ranks first amongst all NFL Draft Eligible receivers with over 100 career targets.

2021 Stats (19 Y/O Sophomore)

13 GP

95 REC

27.2% REC Share

112 TGT

22.7% TGT Share

1606 REC YDS (9 TD)

16.9 YPR

3.26 REC YDS/TPA

1.77 REC YDS/TA

32.4% REC YDS

19.6% REC TD

12.9% OFF TD

2022 Stats (20 Y/O Junior):

3 GP (INJ)

5 REC

9 TGT

2.2% TGT Share

43 REC YDS (0 TD)

8.6 YPR

Collegiate Career Totals:

110 REC

133 TGT

1698 REC YDS

10 Total TD

9.3 YD aDOT

413 Snaps

398 Routes

4.26 YPRR

88.6% Slot Rate

11.1% Wide Rate 

Collegiate Career Bests:

22.7% TGT

28.1% TGT/Route

80.7% Route Participation

3.26 REC YDS/TPA

1.77 REC YDS/TA

2.94 YPRR

26.0% Dominator

Scouting Report:

NFL Draft Grade: 6.29 (Eventual Average Starter)

Next-Gen Draft Grade: 80 (Good)

Scouting Strengths:

• Super productive slot receiver who led Ohio State in receptions and yardage in 2021 despite playing officially as the third receiver on the depth chart behind Chris Olave and Garret Wilson.

• Smooth hips with outstanding agility in tight windows.

• Equally adept at moving laterally and vertically.

• Soft but strong hands demonstrated by a 141.8 QB rating when targeted in 2021.

• Graded with high success rates on deep routes and crossing routes per PFF.

• Willing to go up and attack the ball, often beating the defender to the high point with a solid vertical leap.

• Catches pass in stride, rarely losing momentum after the catch.

• Can track the ball well over either shoulder.

• Has a wide array of crisp routes, allowing him to play on either side of the formation at ease.

• Excellent catch radius. Just throw it near him and he’ll find a way to bring the ball in.

• Solid after the catch with strength and wiggle to either muscle through or elude defenders.

Scouting Weaknesses:

• Athletically solid but does not possess elite traits with concerns towards speed/burst which may make it difficult to separate against top NFL defenders.

• Good speed. Not great speed.

• Missed the majority of his junior season and was limited as a freshman, leaving just one year of positive production on his collegiate resume.

• Spent the entirety of his productive college season playing in the slot, raising concerns at his ability to function outside as a true number-one wideout.

• Needs to work on lapses of concentration and effort that lead to unnecessary drops.

Expected Draft Capital:

•Projected Round: 1st

•Expected Draft Position: 23.9

•Consensus Position Rank: WR3

Consensus Landing Spot:

Baltimore Ravens

Best NFL Fit:

Baltimore Ravens

Los Angeles Chargers

Chicago Bears

Top NFL Player Comparisons:

Ja'Marr Chase

Elijah Moore

Rashod Bateman

Laviska Shenault

Darnell Mooney

Jalen Reagor

Corey Davis

Tyler Boyd

Rashard Higgins

Demarcus Robinson

Future NFL/Fantasy Outlook:

Smith-Njigba was inarguably the number one wideout in the nation following his 2021 campaign. Nagging injuries to his knee/hamstring/ankle kept him sidelined for all but three games of the 2023 season, drastically affecting both his draft stock and production trajectory.

Despite the justifiable health concerns, Smith-Njigba remains one of the brightest young receivers entering the 2023 NFL Draft and should warrant significant consideration from NFL general managers as a first-round selection.

The productive slot receiver is projected to follow in the footsteps of a long line of star wideouts from the Ohio State pipeline. Whether he lines up in the slot or out wide is irrelevant to the fantasy points he can put up on your rosters.

Much respect, thank you for reading. If you have any continued thoughts and would like to share, I am always available for an open conversation on Twitter: @PsychWardFF or Instagram: @psychwardff.

You can find my other works as the Lead Writer and DOC at BRoto Fantasy Football.

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By Matt Ward