'Super Excited!' Seahawks' Smith-Njigba On First Taste Of NFL
The Seattle Seahawks began their first exhibition game of the season with a pass to the possible future of the franchise. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the No. 20 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, posted a two-yard reception from quarterback Drew Lock against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.
The rookie wideout finished the preseason matchup with three catches for 25 yards on four targets. And he couldn't have been more elated.
"I love this game," Smith-Njigba tweeted after the Seahawks' win. "Super excited to be out there especially in front of the 12's tonight. All Glory to God."
The former Ohio State Buckeyes garnered the praise of his quarterback too.
“(Smith-Njigba's) going to be a great player,” Lock said in his postgame press conference. “I’m extremely impressed with the way he’s able to move. The way he runs his routes, they’re crisp, they’re defined. Knows how to get open. When you give him the ball, he’s going to catch it. He’s sure-handed. I’ve been really, really impressed with him. There’s guys who walk out on the practice field day one and your eyes open when they do their first route or run their first play, and he was one of those guys for me.”
Expectations are high among Seahawks fans that Smith-Njigba can be a franchise-defining player at this level. Other former Buckeyes wideouts have transferred their talent to the NFL with relative success. While playing in Columbus, Smith-Njigba caught 110 balls for 1,689 yards and 10 touchdowns in 23 games. And now he'll need similar success in Seattle to help the Seahawks achieve their long-term goals.
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