Ohio State wide receiver and 2023 NFL draft prospect Jaxon Smith-Njigba is next up on our scouting report series.
It took a little longer than it probably should have, but Smith-Njigba is starting to be universally considered the top wide receiver in the draft.
The injury concerns are obviously valid to a certain extent, but JSN’s unfortunate hamstring injury that cost him the majority of the 2022 season has caused a lot of people to overthink him as a prospect.
His final season in Columbus may not have gone according to plan, but the former Buckeye’s talent is undeniable.
This article is going to provide you with an educated opinion on Smith-Njigba’s potential as a pro prospect.
Before we get started, a quick reminder that all of the grades and individual rankings that are included are my own opinions after spending the last few months studying each of these individuals.
Let’s not wait any longer and get right into it
Measurables
- Height: 6’1’’
- Weight: 196 Pounds
- Hand Size: 9’’
- Arm length: 30 ½
- 40-time: 4.48
- Relative Athletic Score: 8.32
College Accolades
- Rose Bowl MVP (2021)
- Third-Team All-American (2021)
- Third-Team All-Big 10 (2021)
2021 Stats
- Receptions: 95
- Receiving Yards: 1,606
- Yards per Reception: 16.9
- Yards per Route run: 4.01
- Drop Rate: 5.9 percent
- Wide Snaps: 46
- Slot Snaps: 367
*Note: Smith-Njigba missed the majority of the 2022 season due to a hamstring injury*
Grades, Projection, and Rankings
- Overall Grade: 87.2 (1st round)
- Ceiling Projection: Top-10 Pick
- Floor Projection: Late first
- Position Rank: WR1
- Consensus Rank: WR1
Reasons to Buy In
- Best route-runner in the draft and detail oriented well beyond his years — master at selling vertical before breaking on a dime.
- Understands how to create extra separation for himself through sneaky and cerebral tactics (push-offs, shoulder dips, blind spots etc.).
- A true possession receiver who is capable of producing at a high level out of the slot — a true safety blanket for a quarterback.
- Uses his quick feet and fluid hips to break off routes without warning. Produced an insane yards per route run of 4.01 in 2021.
- Impressive after-the-catch abilities despite lacking elite speed.
- Electric and technically-savvy playmaker who was arguably the best WR on an OSU team that also had Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson
- Possesses a lethal combination of reliable hands, superb ball skills, and elite body control that constantly puts him in positions to succeed.
And of course, we all know about Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s legendary Rose bowl game.
It just sucks that we haven’t seen anything like this in over a year.
However, other than that, I don’t have many real concerns with JSN.#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/AhwhTlTG3L— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) March 22, 2023
Areas of Concern
- Missed most of the 2022 season with a hamstring injury.
- Doesn’t have elite top-end speed and is susceptible to getting caught from behind.
- Is strictly a slot receiver at the moment and needs a ton of developing on the outside.
- Will have to prove that he can counter physical, strong, and long DBs who are going to challenge him at the LOS in the pros.
- Only one season of truly elite college football.
- Would benefit from improving his overall play strength to avoid being re-routed.
- Occasionally suffers from an unacceptable concentration drop.
- Only produced five catches for 43 yards through three games last season.
Here is every target/catch from Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 2022 season.
You can tell where something went wrong on the very last play toward the end of the route.#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/CCcgruqeen— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) March 22, 2023
Fit with the Titans
Smith-Njigba would be a fantastic addition to a Titans wide receivers room that needs all the help it can get.
The former Buckeye would immediately join Treylon Burks and give the Titans a formidable receiver tandem atop the depth chart.
Burks would primarily operate as the “X” receiver while Smith-Njigba would be the lethal playmaker out of the slot that is also capable of producing big numbers himself.
The Ohio State product definitely isn’t the fastest prospect or anything of that nature, but there are very few receivers his age that are as advanced at the nuances of route-running as he is.
Against man, he’s extremely crafty and sudden, making him a nightmare to deal with in single coverage.
When he faces zone, he’s very cerebral at quickly identifying and attacking the soft spots in the coverage.
Truthfully, there aren’t too many glaring weaknesses in his overall game outside of not having true breakaway speed.
As long as the Titans feel safe with his medicals — which, by all accounts, should be fine as it seems his hamstring is fully healthy again — JSN is more than worthy of being taken with the No. 11 overall pick.
Smith-Njigba is my highest-graded and highest-ranked wide receiver in the 2023 NFL draft class.
Check out more of Shaun Calderon's scouting reports!
