Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

22-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Seattle Seahawks
Questionable
Injury Shoulder
Est. Return 8/10/2024
2024 Fantasy Outlook
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. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a four-year, $14.42 million contract with the Seahawks in May of 2023.
Exits practice with shoulder injury
WRSeattle Seahawks
Shoulder
June 13, 2024
Smith-Njigba left Wednesday's practice early with a shoulder injury that coach Mike Macdonald doesn't consider serious, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.
ANALYSIS
Macdonald canceled the last day of minicamp (Thursday) to reward his players for a good offseason, so Smith-Njigba's next opportunity to practice will be at the start of training camp in late July. It sounds like the Seahawks expect him to be healthy before then, but we may not have confirmation for a while with players and teams going their separate ways during the league's summer break.
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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 2023 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
32.4
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.86
 
% Team Air Yards
13.6%
 
% Team Targets
17.0%
 
Avg Depth of Target
5.9 Yds
 
Catch Rate
67.7%
 
Drop Rate
7.5%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
6.0
 
% Targeted On Route
18.5%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.25
 
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2023
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Seattle SeahawksSeahawks 2023 WR Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

79079%
78379%
63964%
29229%
232%
162%
91%
20%
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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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2023 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
 
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ADP Analysis: Tracking Best Ball ADP Movement from May through June
22 days ago
Wide receivers were the big ADP gainers over the past month, with Jaylen Waddle leading the way after signing a huge extension late in May.
2023 Fantasy Outlook
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
Solid rookie campaign
WRSeattle Seahawks
January 9, 2024
Smith-Njigba recorded 63 receptions on 93 targets for 628 yards and four touchdowns across 17 games in 2023.
ANALYSIS
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Notches TD on only catch Sunday
WRSeattle Seahawks
December 31, 2023
Smith-Njigba gathered in one of two passes for 12 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 30-23 loss to the Steelers.
ANALYSIS
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Full practice Thursday
WRSeattle Seahawks
December 28, 2023
Smith-Njigba (knee) practiced fully Thursday, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle reports.
ANALYSIS
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Dealing with knee concern
WRSeattle Seahawks
Knee
December 27, 2023
Smith-Njigba was limited at Wednesday's walkthrough due to a knee injury, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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Hauls in six passes Sunday
WRSeattle Seahawks
December 24, 2023
Smith-Njigba recorded six catches (on seven targets) for 61 yards during Sunday's 20-17 win at Tennessee.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Could thrive in '24
WRSeattle Seahawks
June 21, 2024
Smith-Njigba is a candidate to have a breakout season in 2024, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com suggests.
ANALYSIS
Smith-Njigba's rookie 2023 campaign was by no means a washout, as he recorded 63 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns while playing in all 17 regular-season games. Nevertheless, Brooks envisions even bigger things for him in his sophomore NFL season, as new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is set to run a high-powered attack that will focus more on getting the ball to a speedy receiver like Smith-Njigba out of the slot.
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