Todd McShay, Mel Kiper explain why Jaxon Smith-Njigba should be top wide receiver in NFL Draft

ESPN NFL Draft expert Todd McShay made it clear who he believes is this year’s top wide receiver in his latest Mock Draft 4.0, which was released Tuesday. McShay had former Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba selected with the No. 11 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans, making him the first wideout taken in McShay’s mock draft. And following the release of his updated mock, McShay along with Mel Kiper broke down what makes Smith-Njigba WR1 in this year’s draft.

“This year’s class we don’t have elite top 10 receivers, but I think Smith-Njigba is the closest thing we have to a number one even though he’s going to play a lot in the slot. I just like his instincts as a player, he’s an excellent route runner, he’s got soft hands,” McShay said. He didn’t run a great 40 (yard dash), he ran a 4.51 unofficial at the pro day, but he just knows how to get open.

Smith-Njigba only appeared in three games last season due to a lingering hamstring injury, but in 2021 more than proved he was a capable wide receiver with 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdown grabs. McShay didn’t only explain what makes him special, but why he would be a good fit for the Titans’ offense.

“And you look at this Tennessee team, they had four wideouts combine for 1,446 yards and six touchdowns last season. AJ Brown, who they traded away, surpassed those numbers on his own they need more playmakers for Ryan Tannehill.

Kiper chimed in too about the prolific Buckeye wideout, explaining why he may be getting overlooked in his evaluation process ahead of the draft.

“Yeah Todd when you look at Jaxon Smith-Njigba what goes unnoticed, people always want to credit everybody around him. It’s (CJ )Stroud, it’s the other receivers that helped him get that free release and do his damage,” Kiper said. “Go back to the Utah game in the Rose Bowl when he dominated that Utes defense. Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave didn’t play in that game, Marvin Harrison Jr. was not yet a star like he was this past season. Yet he lit it up with 15 catches and three touchdowns.”

Smith-Njigba’s Rose Bowl performance was one for the ages, and a game where he also had 347 yards receiving. It was a standout performance that likely captivated NFL scouts, but it was also on January 1 of 2022, and was the last time he played a full game at full strength.

“He obviously with the hamstring didn’t play this year, but then he ran that 4.5 40 (yard dash), I think that along with what he did at the combine showed what kind of player her can come. He’s really this year’s Derek Stingley Jr. who still went very high last year despite not playing much. He’s gonna go very high, Smith-Njigba, despite not playing very much as well. Like I said, back in August he was fifth overall on my big board, doesn’t carry quite that high a grade right now, but Todd is right he’s still going very high,” Kiper said.

ESPN’s duo is buying the Smith-Njigba stock, and we’ll see which NFL team does too on April 27 when the 2023 NFL Draft kicks off in Kansas City, Missouri.