Former NFL Scout Endorses Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the First-Round

There is a lot of pre-draft chatter going on about Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Don’t overthink it. I’ve watched him play in eight games spanning the past two seasons.

This wide receiver (WR) is going to be an elite No. 2 receiver in the NFL on a team that features a superstar No. 1.

I find myself daydreaming about him as the No. 2 in Minnesota paired up with WR Justin Jefferson, or in Buffalo teamed up with WR Stefon Diggs.

Are you kidding me?

Wow, that would be incredible and it would make either of these teams that much harder to defend.

I’ll dare to call him the ultimate “possession receiver,” which always carries a negative connotation associated with the term, but it wasn’t much of a negative for Hall of Fame receivers Steve Largent, Art Monk, or Cris Carter.

Let’s address the elephant in the room

Right off the bat let’s have an open dialogue about his hamstring injury that sidelined him for much of the 2022 season.

I’m not worried about it, not with what Smith-Njigba has put on game film. I tune out the noise about whether he was healthy enough to play, or if he was “preserving himself” for the draft.

I’m sure there will be some teams who talk themselves out of taking Smith-Njigba. Those will be the same teams trying to figure out how to cover him.

Elite flexibility

My scouting mentor, a man with four Super Bowl rings, taught me, “Stick with the dynamic ones.”

Smith-Njigba fits that description with his elite body flexibility he shows in his movements on game film. He’s as flexible as Gumby and he uses that incredible bend to snap off routes like someone who’s breaking a twig in two.

He additionally uses it to routinely make a defender of two miss after the catch – – yes he can pick up the coveted additional yardage after the catch (YAC).

Short-area acceleration

This is what makes him even tougher to cover.

Smith-Njigba shows a short-area second gear coming in and out of route break-points.

Not only does this create separation from corners, but he has some real get-up-and-go once the catch has been made.

Hands made out of glue

Let’s not kid ourselves, being able to catch the ball is what this comes down to. Who cares if a sports car has leather interior if the engine doesn’t have any get-up-and-go?

How is Smith-Njigba catching the ball?

He’s like a check you can take to the bank and cash.

Over three seasons at Ohio State, Smith-Njigba logged 110 catches on 135 targets, which works out to an 81% catch rate.

My favorite receiver at Ohio State

Over the past two seasons of watching the Buckeyes on game film, Smith-Njigba has been my favorite receiver to watch at the school.

Despite WR Garrett Wilson being my documented pre-draft 2022 WR1, I liked #11 even better. Don’t get me wrong, Wilson is special, but…

When it’s all said and done I expect Smith-Njigba to have the most productive career out of Wilson or former Ohio State WR Chris Olave.

#11 Jaxon Smith-Njigba 6-foot-1, 200 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2023 Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 89.4% (down from 94.5% on September 21) of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of January 22, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

First Round Mock Big Board: TBD

Level of competition: High

2021 game film reviewed: Purdue, Michigan, and Michigan State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2022 game film reviewed: Notre Dame, Iowa, and Toledo

2021 stats: 95 receptions (112 targets for an 85% catch rate) 1,606 yards (16.9 avg.), 9 TD, 75-yard long

2022 stats: 5 receptions (9 targets for a 55% catch rate) 43 yards (8.6 avg.), 0 TD, 21-long

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Productive possession receiver with decent straight-line speed, short-area burst, great bend, and hands. Tended to line up in the slot. Phenomenal job setting up corners. Knack for getting open and finding the soft spots in coverages. Excels in all the short-to-intermediate routes. Shows quick choppy feet and ability to snap off routes with incredible body flexibility. Can make the first defender miss after the catch. Can head for the sideline too easily and the biggest issue was his catch-radius. Couldn’t haul in passes too low. Not a deep threat. Got after it at times as a blocker. High ceiling.

Final words

The rich will get richer with this pick.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.