Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR Ohio State: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Smith-Njigba was a five-star recruit from Rockwall High School in Rockwall, Texas in the class of 2020.

It took a while to get off the ground, but I’ve finally prepared the templates for my 2023 NFL Draft Guide. All of the prospect profiles you see in this newsletter over the next ten months will appear in a free draft guide covering over 200 draft-eligible players. I’m opening this series with one of my favorite college players: Ohio State Buckeye wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR Ohio State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior slot receiver from Rockwall, Texas

Background: Smith-Njigba was a five-star recruit from Rockwall High School in Rockwall, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 29 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 20 for Rivals, and No. 28 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 91st in the nation (four-star) with an 84 grade out of 100. As a high school sophomore, Smith-Njigba recorded 83 receptions for 1,328 yards and nine touchdowns. He produced 96 receptions for 1,819 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2018 and 109 receptions for 2,132 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2019. Smith-Njigba was a 2020 U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection and the Texas 6A State Player of the Year. His older brother (Canaan Smith-Njigba) plays outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

2021 Production: 13 games, 95 receptions, 1,606 yards, 9 touchdowns

2020 Production: 7 games, 10 receptions, 49 yards, 1 touchdown

Awards: 2021 Third-Team All-American, 2021 Third-Team All-Big Ten, 2022 Rose Bowl game MVP

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Pros: Performed well in rare contested catch opportunities, has some experience working on the outside, willing blocker, finishes catches through contact, averaged over four yards per route run in 2021, nearly 800 YAC in 2021, remains focused on the ball in tight windows, fully extends for catches away from his body, works back to the football, quick and choppy footwork, loose athlete who glides across the field, nuanced route runner, creates separation with his routes and cuts, willing to work in front of safeties and risk taking heavy hits, deceptive athlete with lower body wiggle and acceleration to win some angles along the sideline, has a euro-step fake he uses to freeze defenders for YAC, adequate speed to take advantage of space, his ability to plant his feet and hop, spin, cut, or redirect in general is special, patient for the ball to arrive but quick to juke after the catch, above-average ball tracking skills

Cons: Infrequently challenged at the line of scrimmage, won’t break many tackles with power, solid contact brings him down, lacks home run speed, separation on vertical routes is questionable, effort to break tackles is inconsistent, speed is more built-up instead of sudden, six drops in 2021, low average depth of target, YAC came largely thanks to short routes, roughly 60% of his targets came on routes under ten yards or behind the line of scrimmage

Overview: Smith-Njigba is unofficially listed at 6'1", 198 lbs. He capped a dominant sophomore season with a Rose Bowl record-smashing performance against Utah (15 receptions for 347 yards and three touchdowns on 16 targets). It’s hard not to be captivated by Smith-Njigba’s playing style. He’s not an explosive athlete, but all of his movements are smooth and stem from his loose athleticism. Smith-Njigba has the profile of a developing route technician. I would expect his footwork, hand fakes, and loose lower body to help build a substantial release package to combat press coverage, but he remains largely untested in that area. Despite his physical limitations, Smith-Njigba creates separation with his route running and incredible footwork.

Overall, Smith-Njigba won’t possess the physical traits some teams consider worth a top-ten pick, but his polished style and elite production in high school and college suggest he’s a future long-term NFL starter.

Role & Scheme Fit: Slot receiver in an 11-personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Early First to Mid-First Round

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 6-27-22