Jaxon Smith-Njigba 2023 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Position: WR
School: Ohio State
Class: Junior
Date of Birth: February 14, 2002
Height: 6-1 Weight: 196 lbs
Athletic Testing
40-Time:
Speed Score:
Vertical: 35”
Broad: 10’5”
Shuttle: 6.57
3-Cone: 3.93
Bio
Jaxon Smith-Njigba put up over 5,000 yards and 82 touchdowns at Rockwall High School in Texas. He was a five-star prospect and the No.5 ranked player in the state in the 2020 recruiting class. He received a number of offers, including Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Arkansas, and others. Smith-Njigba chose Ohio State, where he caught just 10 passes for 49 yards in seven games as a freshman. As a sophomore, JSN cranked up the notch to its highest level, with a record-setting season. His 95 receptions were the fifth-most in Big Ten history. His 1,606 receiving yards were the most ever by a Big Ten receiver, breaking the longstanding record held by former Buffalo Bills star Lee Evans. Incredibly enough, he did that while playing alongside Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave who were both first round picks in the following draft. JSN capped off his historic season with a 15-catch, 347-yards, and three touchdowns performance in the Rose Bowl.
Smith-Njigba was locked-in as the team’s WR1 for the 2022 season after both Wilson and Olave departed for the NFL. Unfortunately, injuries held him to just four catches in three games.
College Stats
Jaxon Smith-Njigba College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference
Positives
+Smooth route-runner
+Separation
+Good hands
+Elusive after the catch
+Elite lateral agility
+QB-friendly
+Age 19 breakout (sophomore)
+Historically productive 2021 season while playing alongside two first round upper class WRs
+7.3 receptions per game in 2021
+3.3 yards per team pass attempt in 2021
+11 career punt returns
Listen: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Prospect Profile
Negatives
-Mostly played from the slot. Likely will be the same in the NFL
-Missed most of 2022 due to injury
-Lacks explosiveness
-Lacks deep speed
-One season of meaningful college production
Highlight Reel
Archetype: Slot WR
Best Comparable Player: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Draft Projection: First Round
Bottom Line:
It is unfortunate we didn’t get to see Jaxon Smith-Njigba with his opportunity to be the clear WR1 in 2022 with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson out of the picture. But that doesn’t take away from how impressive his 2021 campaign was while playing alongside those two studs. JSN is a technically refined route-runner whose awareness and football IQ make him a quarterback’s best friend. He is a smooth operator with good hands and a few nifty moves to add yards after the catch. While lacking in deep speed and the explosiveness to take his game to another level, Smith-Njigba is able to use the other tools on his belt to create consistent separation. JSN projects as a high-end second option in the NFL. He will likely be confined to the slot early in his career but he could develop the versatility to bounce outside at flanker. He is a lock to go off the board in the first round with a chance to be the first wide receiver to hear his name called.
Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN
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