RADIO
The 2023 NFL Draft is very top-heavy at all the positions as there are only two or three first-round grade prospects for each one. There are three upper-tier quarterbacks, two elite running backs, three or four pro-ready tight ends, three stellar cornerbacks, and three ferocious defensive linemen.
However, the wide receiver position this year is the lone exception. I believe that there is truly one elite prospect at the position, Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba ("JSN'"), but some have argued that there are zero wide receivers in this class deserving of a first-round grade. I believe that those people need their eyes checked.
I don't think that anyone would disagree that Garrett Wilson (2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year) and Chris Olave were elite wide receiver prospects. Wilson was drafted at 10 overall by the New York Jets and the Saints traded up from 16 to 11 to draft Olave. Now here is the funny thing, in the middle of the 2021 NCAA season, the three wide receivers were asked who was the best athlete out of the three and they all unanimously said Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Wilson and Olave were headed to the NFL Draft so they had no reason not to say themselves, but they all agreed it was JSN.
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— Frank J. Dyevoich, Esq. (@Fantasy_Giant) April 21, 2023
Is Jaxon Smith-Njigba The Best Receiver Ohio State Had In Recent Years?
Do you know who else said JSN was better than Wilson and Olave? Their wide receiver coach Brian Hartline. Since Hartline joined the Buckeyes, he has recruited and coached the best wide receivers in the country, and he was recently asked who the best ones were. Obviously, Marvin Harrison, Jr. was number one, but JSN came in at number two, above Wilson, Olave, and Terry McLaurin.
.@brianhartline ranks the Top 3 WR’s he has coached
Would you agree? https://t.co/4iBSSmNLMa pic.twitter.com/v5TOic8QgV
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) April 3, 2023
Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud also referred to JSN as "the best route runner I have ever played with in my life."
OSU QB CJ Stroud talking about the strengths of his three WRs - Olave - Leadership, great speed, “amazing” routes
Wilson - “He’s just a freak athlete,” great blocker
Smith-Njigba - “Best route runner I’ve ever played with in my life” @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/McB4RKTi9m— Olivia Wile (@o_wile) November 20, 2021
The math is pretty simple here. Olave, Wilson, and McLaurin are bonafide studs, and those who know them best all agree that JSN is better.
Buckeye Baller
Stats from sports-reference.com
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a five-star recruit out of Rockwall High School in Rockwall, Texas, where he dropped over 2,000 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior. He joined the Buckeyes in 2020 as a true freshman, but his opportunities were virtually non-existent as he only hauled in 10 receptions for 49 yards and one touchdown in seven games played. However, that would be the only time that JSN would hide in the shadows.
His sophomore season can appropriately be described as inconceivable. He led the Buckeyes in both yards and receptions despite sharing the field with fellow superstars Wilson and Olave. His 1,606 receiving yards were third in the nation and set the single-season all-time record in the Big Ten Conference in his first year as a starter. He also finished ninth in the country and seventh in Big Ten history with 95 receptions, and posted an unbelievable 141.8 quarterback rating when targeted.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 91.7 PFF Grade in 2021
Highest graded season by an OSU WR in the PFF era🔥 pic.twitter.com/UlxfZmzAKA
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 19, 2023
JSN turned all of his volume into nine touchdowns, which was third on the team behind Wilson and Olave, who both had 13 touchdowns, but when all three were on the field, he was the most efficient and heavily utilized out of the three. JSN capped off his stellar sophomore campaign in the Rose Bowl, where Olave and Wilson opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. He was the unquestioned number one target for quarterback C.J. Stroud, and all he did with the opportunity was rack up a measly 15 receptions for 347 yards (both Rose Bowl records) and three touchdowns. No big deal.
He was named a third-team All-American and received third-team Big Ten Conference honors. Going into his junior season, Smith-Njigba was a popular choice to take home the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best wide receiver, but unfortunately, he was unable to live up to the hype as he was limited to just three games due to a lingering hamstring injury.
Scouting Report
Height: 6′ 1”
Weight: 196 lbs
40-yard dash: 4.52s (pro-day)
Vertical Jump: 35”
Broad Jump: 10 5”
Short-Shuttle: 3.93s
Three-Cone: 6.57s
The Ohio State Buckeyes have recently been known for producing elite wide receivers in the NFL, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is no different. He possesses all the traits that NFL teams desire in their top targets, and he will enter the league as a top-ten route runner before he plays a down.
JSN is a route-running savant. Every step he takes is calculated and deliberate. He wins at the line of scrimmage, using his lightning-quick feet and flawless releases to throw the defender off balance from the jump. His short-area quickness and change of direction are indisputably the best in this class, and in fact, his 6.57 3-cone time (97th percentile) was the sixth fastest time of the last decade, and his 3.93 short shuttle time (99th percentile) was the fastest time since 2014 and the fourth fastest time since 2007.
His routes are a thing of beauty, stutter-stepping, cutting, and changing direction in and out of his breaks without losing any speed or momentum. His stop-and-start ability is utterly ridiculous, routinely slamming the brakes at high speeds to find giant holes in the secondary and using a defensive back's momentum against them.
Here he is absolutely clowning the defender who presses him at the line at the last second. Watch as the defender creeps up and shows outside leverage, so JSN shakes him even further to the outside with a quick stutter step. This creates even more space for an inside release and leads to instant separation the second the play starts. Already losing the play, the defender tries to recover and chases JSN upfield at which point he stops on a dime to cause the defender to over-pursue, and uses his fluid hips to spin toward the quarterback to catch the pass while still in motion, needing only a millisecond to gain momentum back upfield.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a case for the 1st WR off the board.
He set Ohio St records for catches (95) and rec yards (1,606) in 2021, despite playing w/ Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave.
They were the only rookies with 1,000 receiving yards last season. pic.twitter.com/Gj943zCUzs
— Doug Clawson (@doug_clawson) April 12, 2023
An absolute master class in defensive back manipulation and shredding press coverage with a simple six-yard curl route. This play also showcases another supreme trait of his, his run-after-the-catch ability and natural instincts as a runner. JSN is electric with the ball in his hands, utilizing his elite lateral agility to string together cuts at high speeds without losing balance or momentum. He has excellent field vision and is incredibly elusive in the open field, routinely leaving defenders on skates when they think they have him squared up. In this clip, you can actually see #6's soul leave his body.
Re-watching JSN and this move so absolutely nasty pic.twitter.com/B0XJqFQwYX
— Tyler Browning (@DiabeticTyler) April 16, 2023
On top of his lethal footwork, JSN possesses the best hands in this draft class. He is a natural hands catcher with unbelievable mid-air body control. This is one of the most ridiculous catches and displays of body control you will ever see.
Never forget how the world was introduced to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, still one of the wildest touches and demonstrations of body control I’ve ever seen by a receiver. pic.twitter.com/kLlNvviNr5
— Andrew Harbaugh (@MandrewNFL) June 27, 2022
His ball skills are also right up there with the best in the game. He fights through contact and maintains focus to beat out defenders on 50/50 balls. He has outstanding deep ball tracking and always finds himself in the right position to win the route and haul in tough passes against perfect coverage. Here is another play where JSN showcases his insane body control as he tracks the ball over his shoulder, fights through contact, and angles his body to make sure he gets a foot in bounds. This is perfect coverage, but the cornerback never stood a chance.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba's elite ball skills, ball tracking ability and body control are on full display on this catch against Utah.
His natural talent catching the ball is truly high-level. pic.twitter.com/RKE7aUzHbX
— Luca Sartirana (@SartiranaLuca) January 14, 2023
He effortlessly snatches the ball out of the air at full speed on crossing routes, which helps him to capitalize on run-after-the-catch opportunities and results in routine explosive plays. He is a consistent chain mover with a knack for finding the sweet spot in a zone defense, and when the play breaks down his improvisational skills always find him wide open and in the perfect spot for his quarterback to put the ball.
The only area where JSN's game is lacking is he does not have elite breakaway speed, but neither does Cooper Kupp or Amon-Ra St.Brown, and they seem to be doing just fine for themselves at the next level.
Pro Comparison
Call me crazy, but I see a ton of Justin Jefferson in JSN's game. It goes without saying that Jefferson is more explosive and possesses the elite speed that JSN lacks, but when it comes to elite route running, footwork at the line of scrimmage, manipulating defenders, explosive run after the catch plays, improbable catches, car lengths of separation, and a buttery smooth nuance to their craft, the two are one and the same.
Just like Jefferson, JSN put together a truly elite season from the slot, however, like Jefferson, people are making the mistake of thinking that is all he can do. JSN possesses all of the traits and elite skills necessary to be just as devastating as an outside receiver, and I have no doubt that he will prove it at the next level.
I'd love to see the Texans take C.J. Stroud at number 2 and JSN at number 12 in the upcoming NFL Draft, but other landing spots that would excite me are the Bears at 9, the Titans at 11, or the Packers at 15. Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be the next rookie wide receiver to take the NFL by storm, and he is worthy of being taken as the second non-quarterback in your fantasy rookie drafts behind Bijan Robinson.
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