The Seattle Seahawks had visions of grandeur for their offense when Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba fell into their laps in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. With the No. 20 overall pick, the Seahawks selected Smith-Njigba.
With D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett already in the fold, many thought the Seahawks now possessed one of the best wide receiver trios in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are likely the only other contenders for the title.
Unfortunately, we may have to wait and see what the Seattle trio can do on the field together. Smith-Njigba suffered an injury to his hand during the team’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys over the weekend.
The injury occurred on a tackle near the goalline after he made an impressive reception. He will be undergoing surgery on a bone in his wrist on Tuesday in Philadelphia according to sources that spoke to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
There is a chance that Smith-Njigba is ready to go for the season opener on September 10th at home against the Los Angeles Rams. That will give the former Buckeye star just under three weeks of recovery time before Week 1.
Not having Smith-Njigba in the lineup in Week 1 would be a huge blow to the Seahawks. Their wide receiver depth has already been tested as Dee Eskridge is serving a suspension for the first six weeks of the season as well. That would likely push Dareke Young, a seventh-round rookie, into the No. 3 role.
Smith-Njigba has been one of the standouts for the Seahawks throughout the offseason. He has been lauded for his route-running and consistency on the field, as he gets the job done every time his number has been called.
The Seahawks’ other first-round pick, cornerback Devon Witherspoon, also remains sidelined. He hasn’t played since August 7th because of a hamstring injury. This continues a troubling trend of first-rounders that the team selects suffering injuries during training camp, putting them behind the eight-ball for the start of the regular season.
