Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Set for Second-Year Leap Under Ryan Grubb?
Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba showed flashes of his first-round talent in his rookie season under Shane Waldron, but he lacked the consistency craved at NFL level.
While that is part and parcel of rookies in their first season, Smith-Njigba did show his talents that warranted his draft selection. He caught 63 passes for 628 yards and four touchdowns (ranked third in each stat among all Seahawks) as he was often an outlet for Geno Smith. He also had two game-winning touchdown grabs.
However, Smith-Njigba managed four or more receptions in a game just six times with his highest return yards-wise being 63 against the Baltimore Ravens in a 37-3 loss.
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But now, with a new offensive coordinator in Ryan Grubb who has a style of airing out the football and allowing his quarterback to spray it all over the field, could Smith-Njigba be about to have the second-year leap many talk about?
With Grubb, a coach with an offensive nature and pass-heavy scheme, Smith-Njigba, could be getting more targets and hence more opportunities down the field. He showed that he can be relied upon last season and now with another preseason to get under this belt, there's a good chance that he could surpass his stat lines from last year.
While much of that is predicated on Grubb continuing his college offensive scheme that worked wonders with Michael Penix Jr. and Washington in the NFL, it does feel like a more pass-orientated offense is coming to Seattle.
The Seahawks had the 17th-most pass attempts last season (33 per game) and when you have weapons in D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Smith-Njigba, it makes sense to try and get the ball to them as often as possible.
But with running backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, there was a want to get the ground game established - that might be different now with Grubb at the helm.
Smith-Njigba has all the tools to succeed in the NFL and he has every chance to improve on his rookie season output and have that "second-year" leap to become a force for the Seahawks in the passing game.
