Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Grading the Seahawks’ No. 20 NFL Draft Pick

Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-NJigba has been selected No. 20 overall by the Seattle Seahawks and here is our grade for the pick.

The Seahawks saw a rebirth in the offense of the Seattle Seahawks and it took trading Russell Wilson and trusting Geno Smith as the starter to do it. Now the Seahawks continue to trust Smith as the starter by selecting a young elite wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

This was a critical time for the Seahawks to make a pick for a wide receiver as they came into the 20th overall pick having the capability to pick up any wide receiver or tight end they wanted. Smith-Njigba is the first receiver to come off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft.

There was potential for the Seahawks to address their pass rush by selecting Georgia’s Nolan Smith. They had just missed out on Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.

Grading Smith-Njigba to the Seahawks

There is no doubt that Smith-Njigba is one of the top receivers in the Draft. He is also one of the top athletes in this Draft, but his junior season has been held back by a hamstring injury.

In his sophomore season in 2021, Smith-Njigba was a menace to the Buckeyes’ passing offense. That season, he caught 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. He had a monster performance in the 2022 Rose Bowl against Utah by catching 15 receptions for 347 yards and three touchdowns.

He will immediately be inserted as one of the big triple-threat wide receiver corp along with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. If he can remain healthy, Smith-Njigba can be a reliable contributor to Seattle’s offense and a future star.

Grade: A