NFL.com projects Jaxon Smith-Njigba's rookie season stats

Ahead of the 2023 NFL campaign, NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter has projected the best and worst case scenarios, along with statistical predictions for some fascinating rookies.

One of those is former Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who’s now cutting his teeth at the professional level with the Seattle Seahawks. Many believe Smith-Njigba will have a great rookie season, but his statistics may be hampered by the crowded wide receiving corps he’s entering.

Regardless, Reuter is expecting the former Buckeyes star to put up some good news, projecting Smith-Njigba to catch 50 passes, accumulating 650 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

As for his best case scenario, Reuter believes Smith-Njigba can do a myriad of damage in the short-area game in 2023.

“Smith-Njigba establishes a rapport with quarterback Geno Smith on the field, getting more looks in the short game when Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf are attracting deep coverage,” wrote Reuter. “The former Buckeye takes advantage of his short-area quickness and elusiveness after the catch.”

On the other hand, Reuter believes the wrist injury Smith-Njigba suffered earlier in the preseason delaying his season would be the worst case scenario, which could change the complexion of Seattle’s offense.

“The wrist injury Smith-Njigba suffered this month delays his acclimation to the pros, one year after he missed nearly an entire season at Ohio State with hamstring issues,” Reuter hypothesized, regarding the worst case scenario for the wide receiver. “Seattle’s top running backs — Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet — take on a large workload, which limits the looks for all receivers.”

Alas, there’s a ton of potential in the first round rookie, but it’ll be up to Jaxon Smith-Njigba to stay healthy to realize it. He could easily reach his rookie projections if his talent shines through, but getting on the field is half the battle.

More on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks

Although he missed most of the 2022 campaign due to injury, Jaxon Smith-Njigba proved to be an impressive target in Ohio State’s offense during his time in Columbus. He really popped off the screen during his 2021 season.

Smith-Njigba ended that year as the Big Ten’s leading receiver, totaling 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns on 95 receptions. He averaged an impressive 16.9 yards per snag.

He exceeded the 100-yard mark in each of his final five games in 2021, but he was most impressive in the Rose Bowl Game win over Utah. In that contest, Smith-Njigba put up ridiculous numbers, totaling 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

Obviously, excelling in the NFL is a different story. But if Smith-Njigba can find some of that juice he had during his 2021 season with the Buckeyes, he’ll get along just fine at the professional level.