Smith-Njigba is undergoing medical testing at the combine, with coaches and front-office executives monitoring the results on the hamstring injury that limited him in 2022. He also lacks breakaway long speed and can be run down in open field by plus athletes. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Stroud and Smith-Njigba are cooking . Here's a look at Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He tossed a touchdown on his second drive of the third quarter before OSU tacked on a field goal to cut into Utah's lead, dicing the score to 38-31. A native of Rockwall, TX, Smith-Njigba has impressive route-running, agility, and a knack for making plays with the ball in his hands. As a blocker, Smith-Njigba is an energetic and high-effort player. Hes a fairly easy accelerator who generates solid initial momentum and can freely throttle up and down. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. As a result, many are interested to see how he tests at the Scouting Combine. Being able to create and react to the defender is the strong point in my game, and taking advantage of that. People will knock him for his long speed BUT thats not how he wins. Has good body strength to squirm out of tackles with the coordination to maneuver his frame between defenders. Smith-Njigba flashes the capacity for great explosion, especially when hes on the attack either surging into space or pursuing blockers. pic.twitter.com/jtvAYPnKH5. In a wide receivers room that also featured reigning 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Smith-Njigba led the Buckeyes with 95 receptions, 1,606 receiving yards (16.9 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns. Stats. His route running is superior to most wideouts in this draft class. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Among other things, Smith-Njigba has shown that while he doesnt have great long speed, he can at least stack defenders in the slot on intermediate routes. Bunch. https://t.co/0WKdfgT6qO, Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) February 10, 2023, Player Comp: If Robert Woods and Keenan Allen had a baby, Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio, *All data utilized in this article is courtesy of PFF, Football Outsiders, and Playerprofiler.com unless otherwise specified. Still, he had earned more than a few admirers, interviewer after interviewer peppering him with questions. Smith-Njigba was ninth in yards per route run on deep targets, tied for first in PFF deep receiving grade, and second in passer rating when targeted on routes 20-plus yards in 2021 (minimum 15 deep targets). He wont always win on explosiveness alone, and he doesnt cover a ton of ground off initial explosions out of cuts. After catching 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore in 2021, Smith-Njigba . 5 Ohio State over Nebraska", "Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba sets bowl record with 347 receiving yards vs. Utah in Rose Bowl win", "Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba won't play in College Playoff, intends to enter 2023 NFL Draft", "Ohio State's Impactful Nigerian Connections, Relationship with Greg Mattison and Eye-Opening June Visit Were Driving Forces in Tunmise Adeleye's Recruitment", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jaxon_Smith-Njigba&oldid=1141457926, American people of Sierra Leonean descent, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 04:43. He caught just five passes for 43 yards in his final season with the Buckeyes, which has some wondering how teams currently view him with his best season over a year removed. The No. ANY GAME! Graduated in 2020. Has dominated at the college level but doesn't have any elite traits that translate to the pro game - athletically he's good not great, Doesn't have any serious explosion to his game and may find it difficult to separate at the NFL level, Has good but not great speed and doesn't possess elite athletic skills, Has missed a major chunk of his junior year with a hamstring injury - will have to demonstrate this is the exception rather than the rule for him, Has had a few more drops than you would hope for in a top wideout - mostly due to occasional lapses of concentration rather than anything more intrinsic, Spent most of his college career playing in the slot - so it remains to be seen how he will stand up as an outside threat. Time will tell where he gets drafted, but he's currently one of the more intriguing prospects at wide receiver in the upcoming draft. Do you have a blog? And judging by the way those around the league view the 21-year old, it seems Smith-Njigba will have every chance to prove his worth at the next level. 1 Pick. Speaking of which, he's a YAC machine. historically in the player's position group (Higher value represents better perfomance). "The Patriots have a new offensive coordinator in Bill O'Brien and could . [2] As a senior, he caught 104 passes for 2,094 yards and 35 touchdowns and was named the recipient of both the Landry Award and the Texas Gatorade Football Player of the Year award. In 44 high school games, Smith-Njigba racked up 5,346 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns. I think the best way to describe Jaxon Smith-Njigba is that hes a quarterbacks Phone-a-Friend pic.twitter.com/ZykxbLB2bG. Hes more quick than fast. The Ohio State WR is a natural hands catcher, with incredibly smooth body control in the open field when adjusting for throws. Jaxon has played on 4 football teams covered by MaxPreps. He will be an immediate asset to the run game. Jaxon Smith-Njigba's Football Stats. The sophomore was a supernova against the Utah secondary, hauling in 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Those results won't be made public. 1 Quentin Johnston - TCU. But at the very least, he passes the desired threshold for an NFL starter. Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had one of the most epic Rose Bowl performances of all time -- literally one for the record books -- on Saturday as No. Smith-Njigba and Addison finished third and fourth in receiving yards in 2021, respectively, first and second among Power Five players, and JSN's Rose Bowl performance put him over the top. He can also pinch tight angles around defensive backs while accelerating, showing off valuable ankle flexion. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Theres the regular season, and then there is rookie fever season. Is Ohio State WR and 2023 NFL Draft prospect Jaxon Smith-Njigba the best of the bunch from the historic 2021 OSU trio? The NFL offseason is here (silently chuckles on the inside). 11 Utah Utes 48-45 in Saturday's Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, to finish the 2021 season with an 11-2 record. Receiving. He also set an Ohio State and FBS. Any team investing possible 1st round capital in him knows who they are getting. Smith-Njigba has visible lateral twitch, and he brings good energy with his movement. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the No. Going further, Smith-Njigba has the play strength to pry the ball away from DBs at the catch point. Smith-Njigba won't take part in the 40-yard dash in this year's NFL Combine, but he still views himself among the fastest, strongest and most capable of this year's crop, a belief he reaffirmed Friday morning in Indianapolis. The last time Ohio State took the field, Ryan Day's squad was embarrassed in a 42-27 loss to Michigan. - His recent injury history is certainly a concern. However, he needs more press experience on the boundary to prove it. *Percentile calculated on how any given stat would rank at the NFL combine All rights reserved. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Smith-Njigba as the No. They won that game 64-6. Those things translate. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. He wins with excellent, quick footwork at the line and in space. (19%*), 75 3/8 Pro Football Network, LLC. Smith-Njigba grew up in Rockwall, Texas, and attended Rockwall High School. Rice is 6-0 200, Flowers is 5-9 180. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. While Stroud ended the first half on a high note, he and the OSU offense got out to a rough start to open the third quarter. Willing to go up and attack the ball. Smith-Njigba played minimally with Bears quarterback Justin Fields at Ohio State in 2020, catching 10 passes for 49 yards and a touchdown that year, but it was his sophomore campaign in 2021 that put him on the map nationally. While Smith-Njigba entered the game leading Ohio State with 80 catches for 1,259 yards, he ranked third behind Olave and Wilson with six touchdowns. Both Olave and Wilson, who declared for the NFL draft, will be gone next season, which means players like Smith-Njigba, Harrison and Egbuka will be Stroud's primary receivers in 2022. Smith-Njigba is just 20 years old. 2022; 2021; 2020; Career; 2021 Game Logs * indicates bowl game; 2021 Game Logs Table; Receiving Punt Ret; Rk Date School Opponent Rec Yds Avg TD Ret Yds Avg TD; 1: 2021-09 . In addition, he led a scoring drive to tie the game at 38 before helping the Buckeyes take the lead with 4:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Fields has also said in interviews this offseason that he'd like to see JSN come to town, which is all the more reason for him to be onChicago's radar. 19-20 Varsity Football. As a senior, he caught 104 passes for 2,094 yards and 35 scores. Entering 2022, Smith-Njigba had been projected as one of the top wide receivers in the country. Despite the disappointing end to Rising's night, the Utes still have a bright future with him at quarterback. Still, a first-round selection is a pretty good consolation prize. Latest on Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba including complete game-by-game stats on ESPN . Often used on deep routes, getting separation down the sideline or over the middle on crossing routes by extending his arms rather than pure speed. 10 overall to the Jets) and Chris Olave (No. All Rights Reserved. Good effort and technique as a blocker for his size. Check out Jaxon Smith-Njigba's College Gamelog and More College Stats at Sports-Reference.com . I just try to use all those qualities and get the job done. Harrison, a freshman, also had the best game of his career with Olave and Wilson out of the lineup. Can the Lions fix their defense? MORE:Updated NFL Draft big board of top 125 players overall, position rankings. He uses violent targeted swats to combat jams and swipes down arms at the catch point. He finished the 2021 season with 95 receptions for 1,595. Career Recap: Ohio State has been loaded with wide receiver talent year after year now, and Smith-Njigba is the program's model for the 2023 NFL Draft. Three trades in a chaotic top five, Kiper's Round 1 NFL mock draft: Where four quarterbacks land in the top 10 picks, OSU's Smith-Njigba headed to draft, out for CFP, Ohio State gets RB Williams back vs. Michigan, Buckeyes' Smith-Njigba (hamstring) out again, Buckeyes' Smith-Njigba may be on snap count. Seeing him against press coverage in 2021 will be key, but he projects well there. [14], Smith-Njigba is of half Sierra Leonean descent. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. He carries acceleration through transitions with great hip sink but also presses upfield at stems and actively employs deception. Smith-Njigba has 326 yards receiving, which is the most in any bowl game in college football history. A hamstring injury limited him to three games in 2022, though. With his slightly lighter frame, hes not always going to withstand direct contact. Stats: 2021 (251 FBS WRs, minimum 50 targets) Yards per route run: 1st; PFF receiving grade: 1st; Career Breakout age: 75th percentile (19.6) The Buckeyes star is surprisingly comfortable going low for passes, and he maintains his focus even as his balance is compromised. And now, with Wilson and Olave gone, the spotlight is on him alone. Smith-Njigba can manipulate and change his route path in tight spaces while keeping his speed. He has had an issue hanging onto the ball at times. After the departure of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling during the 2022 off-season, many thought that a wide receiver would be on their mind in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. He also has the most receiving yards in Rose Bowl game history. He had six drops in his 2021 campaign. Can he make the most of it and command first-round capital like they did? The Ohio State wideout had seen only a few downs of action in 2022. There is no doubt C.J. Rising is a big reason the Utes even reached the Rose Bowl, and he'll undoubtedly be a reason they play in another bowl game next season. Rushing. The Player the Ravens Should Be Watching at the . . Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. Stroud To Be the No. Hes a guy that will do the laundry for you pic.twitter.com/oFeHCi8qPj. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. - Other than his standout sophomore season, Smith-Njigba hasn't done much. He only played three games in 2022 due to a lingering. He has 15 receptions for 92 receiving yards and a score. Here's what NFL.coms draft expert Lance Zierlein had to say about Smith-Njigba's game: "Smith-Njigba is a possession slot receiver who lacks the shake to separate underneath and the speed to run past defenses. The Case for Anthony Richardson To Be the No. Smith-Njigba was limited to just three games in 2022 due to a hamstring injury and his decision to not participate in the College Playoff. Finally, Smith-Njigba has shown he can sneak through arm tackles in open space with his slippery running ability and active feet. He caught just five passes for 43 yards in his final season with the Buckeyes, which has some wondering how teams currently view him with his best season over a year removed. Jaxon Smith-Njigba ( / ndb / in-JIG-b; born February 14, 2002), also known by his initials JSN, is an American football wide receiver for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Latest on Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN When Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a likely first round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, was asked what stood out about his formal interview with the Green and Gold, he said the . Jaxon Smith-Njigba now has the most receiving yards (231) in , It's a new Buckeye record for Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
He has 288 Rec yds (and counting), the most in a game in program history, and he's closing in on the all-time Bowl Game record (308 by Jason Rivers in 2006).
No. . Hes not the most explosive or the fastest receiver, but hes a methodical route runner who can employ his brand of athleticism extremely efficiently. Smith-Njigba struggles with injury after first catch (0:19) Jaxon Smith-Njigba takes a big hit on his first catch and doesn't come back in the game until late in the second quarter. In his final two seasons . . Smith-Njigba feels 100% after injury-marred '22, Kiper's updated NFL mock draft: Who's moving up for a QB? If youre like me and youve had a raging fever since Februarythe only prescription is my rookie primers. . Moreover, hes a manipulative route runner who can adjust his tempo through reps. Smith-Njigba's performance helped C.J. STROUD 50-YARD TD TO JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA . Lets find out. Let's find out. hamstring injury limited him to three games in 2022, though. And looking at his evaluation, that early-round billing is warranted. Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a bold message at the 2023 NFL Draft Combine, wrote the Athletic Chicago Bears beat writer Kevin Fishbain wrote in a Thursday tweet. Draft analyst Todd McShay reported in December that Smith-Njigba was healthy enough to play in the College Football Playoffs, but chose not to. He has 15 receptions for 92 receiving yards and a score. 11 Utah. He averaged 8.3 yards after the catch in 2021 and will likely continue that trend in the NFL. Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has studied Bills' Stefon Diggs since Maryland, would love to play with Josh Allen - newyorkupstate.com NFL Draft may have strongest class of tight ends in . Coming to the team, it was assumed he would have to wait his time sitting behind a loaded receiving core for the Buckeyes. Current draft projection for Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. MORE:Tracking the fastest 40 times from the 2023 NFL Combine, "My playmaking ability is second to none," Smith-Njigba said. It should also be noted that the Buckeyes were without a whopping 24 players against Utah for various reasons, which makes their performance even more impressive. Going further, Smith-Njigba appears to lack quantifiably elite explosive burst. NBC4 WCMH-TV Video 81-year-old gearing up for the Arnold 5k Pump . He tracks the ball well on long throws and is capable of being a deep threat. Sat., Jan. 1, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) races to the end zone for a touchdown during the second quarter of the 108th Rose Bowl Game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl. Ohio State star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to miss College Football Playoff matchup versus Georgia See all videos Verified Results Forty 4.59 Seconds The Opening Finals 07/01/19 Shuttle 3.91. JSN's Rose Bowl performance against Utah, albeit with the Utes drastically undermanned in the secondary and Olave and Wilson sitting out, was a . The NFL offseason is here (silently chuckles on the inside). And Smith-Njigba holds up his end there as well. - He already has a rapport with Fields. apped his 2021 campaign with a ridiculous performance in the Rose Bowl against Utah, catching 15 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns through the air, setting a new record for receiving yards in the legendary bowl game. Smith-Njigba was the leading receiver on a team that featured last year's NFL rookie . The Green Bay Packers, like the rest of the NFL, are at the combine trying to figure out who they want to draft in April. 2 Jaxon Smith-Njigba - Ohio State. Jaxon Smith-Njigba's NFL Combine profile. Theres the regular season, and then there is rookie fever season. But after a frustrating junior year, Smith-Njigba intends to show that he is the best receiver in this year's draft. His size and strong lower body make him a tricky task for corners once the ball is in his hands. It is impossible to ignore his monster finish to the 2021 season, and he has starting slot potential, but the speed concerns coupled with an injury-plagued 2022 season threaten to negatively impact his draft stock.". Smith-Njigba will need to fine-tune his route running to give himself his best chance to succeed at the next level. Before suffering an ACL tear last season, Smith-Njigba proved himself one of the most dynamic players in the country in his time in Columbus. Time will tell where he gets drafted, but he's currently one of the more intriguing prospects at wide receiver in the upcoming draft. 1 Pick, The Case for Bryce Young To Be the No. - He's great at getting open on broken plays, as he can often be found scrambling around nearly as much as his quarterback while trying to get open. 2022; 2021; 2020; Career; Splits. Hes a route tactician with the route-running chops of an NFL veteran. For comparison, he entered with just five catches for 68 yards on the season. His height, weight, and length are all likely close to the median for wide receivers. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? While hes not an elite explosive threat, Smith-Njigbas cylindrical twitch is high-level, and he uses that trait to get DBs off-balance. He also holds Ohio State records for most catches in a single game with 15 (twice) and most receiving yards in a single season with 1,606 during the 2021 season. Jaxon Smith-Njigba Rose Bowl stats: 15 receptions, 346 receiving yards, three touchdowns; College football world reacts to Jaxon Smith-Njigba's historic Rose Bowl game. Find out more. Does a nice job locating and tracking deep passes and is a legitimate vertical threat. As it turns out, all the Buckeyes needed was Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Rising and the Utes put together five consecutive scoring drives before ending the first half with a punt.
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