Time for a strong draft opinion on the Green Bay Packers with three weeks to go before the 2023 NFL draft: general manager Brian Gutekusnt should do what it takes to get Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba come the first round on Thursday, April 27.
The belief here is that Smith-Njigba will not last to the 15th overall pick, which means a trade-up would be required to land the star Buckeye receiver.
Why should Gutekunst aggressively target him?
Here are the top reasons why the Packers should want Smith-Njigba:
Top pass-catcher available
This is a deep class of wide receivers, but Smith-Njigba, in my opinion, is head and shoulders above any other pass-catcher in the 2023 draft class. First, his hamstring injury during the 2022 season clouds what was a truly impressive and dominant 2021 season. Second, Smith-Njigba’s combination of elite quickness, body control and route-running acumen is unmatched in the class. Teammates and coaches at Ohio State rave about his elite ability. The talent is real. He’s going to enter the NFL ready to be a high-volume receiver and a game-breaking threat from the slot. In the right situation, Smith-Njigba is capable of catching 80 or more passes as a rookie and eventually 100 or more per year. Think of him as a mashup of Amon-Ra St. Brown in CeeDee Lamb’s body.
Fills a huge need
The Packers need wide receivers. More specifically, the Packers need weapons in the passing game. Drafting Smith-Njigba would provide a big checkmark on Brian Gutekunst’s roster-building to-do list. As of early April, the Packers have only five wide receivers on the roster, and the three with any actual NFL experience were all rookies last season. Smith-Njigba wouldn’t help on the experience end, but he’d give the Packers a legitimate Day 1 starter at a position of great need and importance. Even if Smith-Njigba is the team’s first-round pick, the Packers will probably take 1-2 more receivers in this draft. It’s a roster need based in lack of depth, lack of experience and lack of proven talent.
Perfect weapon for Jordan Love
Love is about to enter his first season as a starting quarterback. The Packers have a solid offensive line and two productive running backs, but what else could help a young quarterback? A wide receiver who can get open quickly and on time. That’s Smith-Njigba, who used his short-area quickness and deceptiveness as a route-runner to consistently separate early in routes and provide easy passing windows for Ohio State quarterbacks. A slot receiver with Smith-Njigba’s skill set could provide the perfect security blanket for a quarterback who will want to make quick, easy reads and find high-percentage throws as a first-year starter.
Perfect complement for Christian Watson
Christian Watson has elite speed and field-stretching ability. Smith-Njigba isn’t a burner, but his ability to consistently get open in the short to intermediate areas of the field could provide the jelly to Watson’s peanut butter. Imagine teams playing two-deep safeties or assigning extra help down the field to Watson, and Smith-Njigba carving up slot cornerbacks or zone defenses underneath. This is the element the Packers need in the passing game; Watson and Romeo Doubs (and even Samori Toure) are deep threats, but Smith-Njigba could help Jordan Love and the Packers get the easy, productive completions and ensure defenses have to cover the whole field in the passing game.
It's time to build out the offense
The Packers have invested a lot of draft capital and salary cap dollars to building the defense. It’s time to start rebuilding the group on offense. The investment at wide receiver was a start last season, but more is required. At this point in the offseason, the Packers might have the worst collection of pass-catchers in the NFL, especially when the tight ends are included in the assessment. Think back to 2008; during Aaron Rodgers’ first season as a starter, the Packers were well-stocked in the passing game (see: Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones) and beginning to build a juggernaut at wide receiver and even tight end (drafted Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley). Now is the right time to start building out the group for Jordan Love and open up a two- or three-year window of everyone growing together in the offense. Using a first-rounder on Smith-Njigba (and maybe even a second-rounder on a tight end) would be a terrific continuation of the reloading process for the Packers.
Why trade up?
The Packers are going to gain 2023 draft capital when the Aaron Rodgers trade is finalized. That’s just a matter of time. Brian Gutekunst is already in possession of 10 overall picks, including seven on Day 3. Getting aggressive and moving up for a player is always a risk, but he’s done it before (especially in the first round) and he’ll have the ammo to do it again come the first round of the 2023 draft. Remember, Gutekunst wanted to trade back into the first round of last year’s draft to get Christian Watson but couldn’t find a suitor. Moving up to get Smith-Njigba would prevent another Justin Jefferson situation where an elite pass-catcher comes off the board a few picks before the Packers come on the clock. In some ways, Smith-Njigba and Jefferson are similar prospects. Both played with elite players but were elite producers, and both have rare movement skills and body control as pass-catchers. If the Packers think Smith-Njigba can be an elite player at next level, giving up assets to move up shouldn’t be a deterrent.
