Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

23-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Seattle Seahawks
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Smith-Njigba's second pro season went much better than his first, featuring a 47 percent increase in targets and 80 percent increase in yardage. The 20th overall pick from the 2023 NFL Draft made huge strides in every key efficiency metric from Year 1 to Year 2, and he did it while taking on far more volume in an offense that deprioritized 32-year-old Tyler Lockett. Even DK Metcalf seemingly dropped to Option B status by the end of the year, averaging 7.2 targets per game compared to Smith-Njigba's 8.1. There's perhaps room for further volume growth now that Metcalf and Lockett are gone, replaced by Cooper Kupp and Tory Horton. The problem for JSN is that Kupp seemingly overlaps with his skillset more than Metcalf did -- and then there's concern about the quality of Seattle's offense with Sam Darnold replacing Geno Smith at quarterback. Darnold played well for Minnesota last year, but that was with much better blocking and playcalling than Smith had in Seattle. It was surprising to see the Seahawks swap QBs while waiting for the draft to seriously address their porous O-line, although there is hope for improvement in 2025 with better injury luck and a better scheme under new coordinator Klint Kubiak. For all the progress Smith-Njigba made last year, he had an awful lot of cheap PPR points on plays that didn't help Seattle score -- while catching just 15 passes from a perimeter alignment -- which raises questions about scheme-dependency moving forward. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Signed a four-year, $14.42 million contract with the Seahawks in May of 2023.
Comes to life in fourth quarter
WRSeattle Seahawks
September 25, 2025
Smith-Njigba brought in four of five targets for 79 yards in the Seahawks' 23-20 win over the Cardinals on Thursday night. He also rushed three times for 11 yards.
ANALYSIS
Smith-Njigba shockingly didn't make his first catch until 49 seconds remained in the third quarter, but he'd curiously logged three rush attempts by that point. The talented wideout's moonlighting came to an end down the stretch, however, as he contributed key receptions of 11, 36 and 22 yards in the fourth quarter. The latter catch positioned the Seahawks at the Cardinals' 40-yard line with 23 seconds remaining. Jason Myers would knock home a game-winning 52-yard field goal two plays later, and Smith-Njigba finished with a solid stat line after his night looked to be in danger of being a washout. Smith-Njigba has seen his reception and receiving yardage totals drop over that of the previous game in each of the last three contests, but he remains Sam Darnold's unquestioned No. 1 target heading into a Week 5 home matchup against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Oct. 5.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Jaxon Smith-Njigba's 2025 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
106.5
 
Air Yards Per Snap
2.61
 
% Team Air Yards
50.4%
 
% Team Targets
35.1%
 
Avg Depth of Target
12.5 Yds
 
Catch Rate
78.8%
 
Drop Rate
0.0%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
3.7
 
% Targeted On Route
33.7%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
4.10
 
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2025 NFL Game Log
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2024 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Seattle SeahawksSeahawks 2025 WR Snap Distribution
#% of Team Snaps

17171%
16368%
10644%
3916%
2611%
52%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Jaxon Smith-Njigba lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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Side
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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the Buccaneers pass defense compare to other NFL teams this season?
The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.
TB
vs Buccaneers
Sunday, Oct 5th at 4:05PM
Overall QB Rating Against
71.4
 
Cornerbacks
58.9
 
Safeties
60.2
 
Linebackers
108.2
 
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2025 Jaxon Smith-Njigba Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Jaxon Smith-Njigba's measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* All metrics are from his Pro Day (not the combine).
Height
6' 0"
 
Weight
197 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.52 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.21 sec
 
Hand Length
9.00 in
 
Arm Length
30.62 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jaxon Smith-Njigba See More
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jaxon Smith-Njigba See More
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
Smith-Njigba was a divisive prospect coming out of Ohio State last year, with his credentials as a first-round pick almost entirely dependent on his 1,600-yard sophomore season. He barely played as a freshman -- no crime in an offense loaded with future first-round WRs -- and then caught just five passes in three games during an injury-plagued junior campaign. Smith-Njigba excelled in agility drills at the 2023 Combine, but he skipped the 40-yard dash (later running a 4.48-4.53 at his pro day) and didn't make up for it with size (6-1, 196). Seattle took the plunge with the 20th overall pick, making "JSN" the first of four straight receivers drafted. Of the four, Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison definitely had better rookie seasons, while Quentin Johnston came away looking worse than Smith-Njigba. Truthfully, Smith-Njigba's unusual usage makes it tough to draw conclusions from his rookie season even though he took on 93 targets and 675 snaps in 17 games. He took 68 percent of his snaps either in the slot or lined up tight to the formation, and more than one-third of his targets came from behind the line of scrimmage. Smith-Njigba's failure to draw looks downfield might seem damning -- just 24 targets 10-plus yards from the LOS -- until you remember he was a 21-year-old in the same offense as a healthy DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. We can't project big volume with Metcalf and Lockett still around and QB Geno Smith still throwing the passes, but new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb could boost the pace and play volume relative to sluggish former OC Shane Waldron, and Smith-Njigba's continued development could allow him to overtake Lockett this year or next.
Smith-Njigba didn't play much as a freshman at Ohio State and was limited to three appearances as a junior while battling hamstring injuries, but in between he put up 1,606 yards as a sophomore in an offense that also featured 2022 first-round picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. For what it's worth, Wilson has said Smith-Njigba is the best player of the trio -- a statement that became all the more interesting when both Wilson and Olave topped 1,000 yards as NFL rookies. While he doesn't quite have the straight-line speed to match his college teammates, the slot-based Smith-Njigba made waves at the 2023 combine with elite marks in the three-cone drill (6.57 seconds) and short shuttle (3.93). That's like where he'll play for the Seahawks, who made him the first wide receiver selected in this year's draft at 20th overall. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett figure to dominate the targets, but Smith-Njigba gives Seattle a third wideout it's lacked in recent years and could make an immediate impact in three-receiver sets.
More Fantasy News
Reels in first TD of 2025
WRSeattle Seahawks
September 21, 2025
Smith-Njigba (illness) finished with five receptions on six targets for 96 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 44-13 win over the Saints.
ANALYSIS
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Active in Week 3
WRSeattle Seahawks
September 21, 2025
Smith-Njigba (illness) is listed as active Sunday against the Saints.
ANALYSIS
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Likely to play through illness
WRSeattle Seahawks
Illness
September 21, 2025
Smith-Njigba (illness) remains listed as questionable heading into Sunday's game against the Saints, but his availability for the Week 3 contest is unlikely to be affected while he bounces back from an unspecified "bug," Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
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Now questionable due to illness
WRSeattle Seahawks
Illness
September 20, 2025
Smith-Njigba is questionable for Sunday's game versus the Saints due to an illness.
ANALYSIS
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Tops 100 yards again Week 2
WRSeattle Seahawks
September 14, 2025
Smith-Njigba caught eight of 10 targets for 103 yards in Sunday's 31-17 win over the Steelers.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Making strong early impression
WRSeattle Seahawks
August 6, 2025
Brady Henderson of ESPN.com labels Smith-Njigba as his standout performer of Seahawks camp thus far.
ANALYSIS
The third-year wideout already comes into 2025 with elevated expectations, considering both his breakout 100-1,130-6 line over 17 regular-season games in 2024 and the fact both DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are no longer on the roster. Henderson notes Smith-Njigba has been looking the part of a No. 1 receiver thus far, with the talented receiver looking like the team's best offensive player over the first two weeks of camp and showing he can thrive on the outside after spending a lot of time in the slot over his first two seasons.
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