Jaxon Smith-Njigba 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Vendetta Sports Media brings you NFL Draft profiles on the prospects in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. In this article, I will be going over Jaxon Smith-Njigba, former Ohio State standout. Many have been down on Smigh-Njigba due to him being injured during the 2022 season, but I have him as my WR1 entering the draft. Let’s break it down.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba played the majority of his snaps from the slot at Ohio State. That is where he is projected to be in the NFL and the questions surrounding him are if he can play outside. I think he has the speed to play outside if need be. There is nothing wrong with being a dominant slot receiver in the NFL, which is what I think he could become. His combine performance was solid — no 40 time but he did show great footwork and good hands.
The aforementioned footwork is probably his biggest strength. He looks so smooth running his routes and uses those tools to slice through the middle of the field. Great hands. You can trust that if that ball hits his hands, he’s coming down with it. JSN has underrated top-end speed as well. His speed doesn’t fade at the top of his routes. He outperformed his former running mates Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave when they all played together (what a receiver room).
Jaxon Smith-Njigba grades out as a first-round pick. I think he could go in the top 20 and could be convinced that he might be the top receiver taken. Jordan Addison and Quentin Johnston might have something to say about that, but I think JSN is the most NFL-ready and can thrive in the right environment.
Check out our Linktree to view all of our incredible sponsors as well as our socials!
