The Seattle Seahawks strengthened their pass-catching game when they selected wide receiver Ohio State Jaxon Smith-Njigba with their second first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Coach Pete Carroll was ecstatic with the selection.
“To come up with Jaxon to get this done, we have two guys that we love the way they play, of course, in Tyler (Lockett) and DK (Metcalf), and we needed another guy to fit in with them,” Carroll told reporters following the pick. “The competition with the guys that we have here will be wide open, but we see Jaxon fitting in as that third guy with those guys and will complement them and make them better.
“He can play right now, he will be able to do everything that we want him to do.”
Smith-Njigba impressed in his college career, setting Buckeye records for both number of receptions in a single game and total receiving yards in a season.
“He showed us the kind of physical stuff that we needed to see for his stock because he has a unique way that he plays the game,” Carroll said. “He has great catching range, is a great catcher, has a terrific feel, is an excellent competitor, can make all kinds of clutch plays, and is a come-through guy that I know Geno (Smith) is going to fall in love with.”
