Seahawks BREAKING: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Signs $14.4 Million Contract; Seattle Next Rookie Star?
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Already with one of the top receiver duos in the NFL with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett torturing opposing defenses, the Seattle Seahawks have a new toy for quarterback Geno Smith to throw to.
After selecting Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the fifth pick of the draft, Seattle bolstered its potent passing attack by snagging Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the 20th overall pick in the first round, becoming the third Buckeye wideout to be selected in the first round in the past two years.
And now as of Thursday, “JSN” has signed his slotted four-year contract worth approximately $14.4 million.
Bringing a different skill set to the equation to complement Metcalf, Smith-Njigba's game isn't predicated on elite speed to create separation and while he has plus tracking skills on deep balls, that likely won't be where he cuts his teeth in the NFL. While eclipsing 1,600 receiving yards during the 2021 season, he created major problems for opponents with his elite change of direction skills and masterful route running in the intermediate game.
A dynamic chain-moving target, Smith-Njigba excels at reeling in difficult contested catches, particularly working from the slot where his shiftiness and suddenness causes significant trouble for opposing corners and safeties. Once the football is in his hands, he accelerates quickly as a ball carrier and can be difficult to get to the ground, racking up yards after the catch in bunches.
From a negative standpoint, Smith-Njigba only had one strong season at Ohio State and missed nearly his entire junior season with a hamstring injury. Though he was utterly dominant in 2021, he caught five passes total in three games last season and didn't make it back for his team's playoff run, looking far more pedestrian as a route runner than the previous season when healthy.
Dating back to Doug Baldwin's retirement after the 2018 season, the Seahawks have desperately tried to find a viable third target to pair with Metcalf and Lockett who can win in the middle of the field and create with the ball in his hands. But that quest has been unfulfilled, as 2021 second-round pick Dee Eskridge missed extensive action due to injury in his first two seasons and has been limited to 17 total catches.
While Eskridge remains on the roster, by using a premium pick on Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks turned up the heat on him with the former Buckeye star favored as the new slot receiver alongside Metcalf and Lockett. Assuming he's fully recovered from his hamstring injury and hits the ground running, expect a lot more 13 personnel with three-receiver sets from coordinator Shane Waldron moving forward.
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