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Instant Reaction: What experts are saying about Seattle Seahawks drafting Jaxon Smith-Njigba

IMG_7408by:Andy Backstrom•04/27/23•

andybackstrom

Jaxon Smith-Njigba seahawks
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

COLUMBUS — Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the third Ohio State wide receiver selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in the last two years.

Smith-Njigba went No. 20 overall to the Seattle Seahawks. He’ll join Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith and wideouts D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

Smith-Njigba missed practically all of the 2022 season with a nagging hamstring injury after his record-breaking 2021 campaign, during which he set the Buckeyes’ single-season receiving record. Of course, he capped that season with an all-bowl record 347 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the Rose Bowl against Utah.

Now, a healthy Smith-Njigba will get a chance to remind everyone what he can do — this time, at the NFL level. Here’s what the ESPN analysts had to say about Smith-Njigba.

What Louis Riddick said about Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba going to the Seattle Seahawks

Riddick on Smith-Njigba going to the Seahawks: “He’s a three-position player. Not just a slot player, which is where he can really do a lot of work in the middle of the field and he did a lot of work at Ohio State. But he’s an X, he’s a split end, he’s a flanker, he’s a Z and he’s also a slot guy. And they will move him all over the place and pair him with D.K. Metcalf, for sure, and Tyler Lockett. And Geno Smith has to be thinking, look I have a guy here right now who can make the contested catches, who you don’t see get run down from behind, who offensive coordinator Brian Hartline out there at Ohio State said, ‘Hey, look, of all the great players that I have had recently, all the wide receivers that we’ve put it into the NFL, this guy of the recent crop is as good if not better than all of them.’ He believes in the way this kid is made up, in terms of his temperament and his intelligence. The hamstring won’t be a problem anymore. He’s going to be a baller out there in Seattle’s offense.”

What Booger McFarland said about Jaxon Smith-Njigba going to the Seattle Seahawks

McFarland on Smith-Njigba going to the Seahawks: “You talk about he can play outside, sure, but I think he can be elite inside. His three-cone drill is 6.57. That’s elite. That is Julian Edelman-type quickness on the inside. And isn’t it ironic that Seattle, they didn’t get a quarterback. Here’s what they’re going to do. They’re going to say, ‘You know what, we have Tyler Lockett, we have D.K. Metcalf, we signed Geno Smith to an extension, we’re going to invest in our offense and put more weapons around Geno Smith.’ This guy will work the middle of the field and dominate in between the hashes.”

What Mel Kiper Jr. said about Jaxon Smith-Njigba going to the Seattle Seahawks

Kiper on Smith-Njigba going to the Seahawks: “People say, ‘Well, he’s got deceptive speed, he’s not that fast.’ 4.49, 4.5 is pretty good for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That Utah game, two years ago the Rose Bowl, he had 15 catches and keep in mind two years ago he outproduced Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, in terms of catches and average per catch. … They made a lot of that happen. He got free releases. They were really smart how they devised that scheme to get him free and clear. Jaxon Smith-Njigba with Seattle, the third wide receiver that was a missing link with Metcalf and Lockett. He will fill a major void on that offense.”

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