Even though Jaxon Smith-Njigba missed the majority of the 2022 college football season with an injured hamstring, there was enough tape from the previous two seasons to keep Smith-Njigba in the first round. The former Buckeye is the first receiver off the board taken by the Seattle Seahawks with the No. 20 pick.
After a record-setting Rose Bowl at the end of his sophomore season, hopes were high for Smith-Njigba. Many saw him as the best receiver in college football and a front-runner for the Heisman trophy. Unfortunately, the hamstring injury came in the opening game of the season against Notre Dame and fans were robbed of seeing his final season in the Scarlet and Gray.
Smith-Njigba was overshadowed slightly by two other guys you may have heard of before: Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. Both are two of the best to ever play in Columbus. However, when all three last played together, it was Smith-Njigba who had arguably a better season than the two first-round draft picks.
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Beyond the Rose Bowl records, Smith-Njigba set many single-season marks with the Buckeyes in 2021. He holds the record for most catches in a single game with 15 (twice) and most receiving yards in a single season with 1,606.
Some have questioned his size and speed to be a top-end NFL receiver. But Smith-Njigba put the speed question to bed by running a 4.48 at the Ohio State pro day in March. Just watch the tape. The young man runs clean routes and has some of the best hands in college football.
He should be a good one for years to come.
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