The Seattle Seahawks were considered one of the big winners early on in the 2023 NFL Draft. The selection that people seemed to like the most was Seattle coming away with Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the No. 20 overall pick.
Smith-Njigba was one of the most electrifying wide receivers in college football in 2021 when he caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. Playing in an offense that also included Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, it was a truly jaw-dropping performance for JSN.
Big things were expected out of him in 2022 as the No. 1 receiver along with Marvin Harrison Jr. However, his 2022 season never really took off. Smith-Njigba missed all but three games because of hamstring and ankle injuries. He caught only five passes for 43 yards and no scores, opting to start focusing his attention on the draft.
He took part in the team’s rookie minicamp last weekend and came away feeling great. There are no lingering issues from the hamstring injury as he was ecstatic about getting on the field with some of his new teammates.
“I feel great, feel 100 percent, ready to go, happy to be out here competing,” he said.
Smith-Njigba did share that the Seahawks are doing their due diligence with him. They are making a concerted effort to ensure he isn’t doing too much too soon. It is an appreciated effort and Smith-Njigba believes his injury is 100 percent healed and he will be ready to go.
“Yeah, just taking it slow, taking it one step at a time, and getting ready for the next step,” Smith-Njigba said. “They’re just trying to control and make sure everything goes smoothly. They are doing a great job of doing that.”
With his addition alongside D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the Seahawks may have the best wide receiver trio in the NFL as long as he can live up to expectations. Geno Smith has to be elated about having another weapon in the passing game as the presence of Smith-Njigba should help take the team’s performance to another level.
In 2022, Marquise Goodwin was third out of the wide receivers with only 27 receptions for 387 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games behind Metcalf and Lockett. Those are numbers Smith-Njigba should be able to improve upon right out of the gate as the No. 3 option and starting slot receiver.
