SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks selected Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the No. 20 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft Thursday night, pairing one of the best wide receivers in the class with its tandem of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Smith-Njigba was regarded as the best wide receiver in the 2023 class, despite playing essentially one full collegiate season. When Smith-Njigba was healthy during the 2021 season, the Ohio State product outperformed teammates Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. Wilson, the No. 10 pick in last year's draft, won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 while Olave, the No. 11 pick, was a finalist for the award.
Related: Our 2023 NFL Draft guide
Yet on a team with three first-round caliber wide receivers, Smith-Njigba led the Buckeyes with 95 receptions, 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021. Wilson had 1,058 receiving yards while Olave totaled 936 receiving yards.
According to scouts, the 21-year-old has the kind of upside to be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL and be an immediate fit as a slot receiver. Ohio State typically used Smith-Njigba in the slot, a space where more NFL teams are deploying their star talents to take advantage of space and smaller cornerbacks.
The downside, of course, is that Smith-Njigba was beset with several injuries that cut short his freshman and senior seasons. He has just one, albeit exceptional, season to gauge whether he is an NFL talent. Is that enough to warrant a first-round selection?
By selecting Smith-Njigba the Seahawks hope he can be the No. 3 receiver the team has lacked for over a decade. Metcalf and Lockett are perennial 1,000-yard contributors, but the Seahawks have rarely had other viable options outside of the longtime pair.
Smith-Njigba will join Devon Witherspoon as the prospects Seattle hopes can push its team from fringe playoff team to title contender in 2023.