Seahawks Three-Headed Monster: Seattle WR Corps Among Best in NFL?
The Seattle Seahawks added to their offense in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. After using the No. 5 pick to select Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, they took Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba No. 20.
Receiver wasn't necessarily a position that many would've expected to see Seattle address so early on in the draft, with needs like the defensive line being commonly mocked as a point of emphasis. Yet, the Seahawks still got better by drafting the former Ohio State Buckeye, as he gives quarterback Geno Smith a third option out wide to go along with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
But where does this trio of pass-catchers place the Seahawks when it comes to ranking receiving corps across the NFL?
Continuing its series, Pro Football Focus has ranked each team's receiving corps from 1 to 32, and Seattle came in at No. 5 on the list.
"I mentioned the Bengals having the best receiver trio in the league, but Seattle might not be far behind," PFF writes. "D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett combined for 190 catches for 2,256 receiving yards a season ago, with both players grading above 77.0. Now, they’ll add first-round receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who recorded a 92.1 receiving grade and exceeded 1,600 receiving yards as just a true sophomore at Ohio State in 2022."
At one point, Smith-Njigba looked like he was going to be the first receiver taken in the NFL Draft heading into his junior season at Ohio State. The buzz surrounding him couldn't have been louder after he burst onto the scene in 2021 for the Buckeyes, totaling over 1600 yards and nine touchdowns on a team that featured fellow future first-round picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.
The crowning moment for Smith-Njigba was the Rose Bowl, where he set records with his 347-yard and three-touchdown performance for the Buckeyes. If it wasn't for the hamstring injury that forced to only play in three games last fall, the Seahawks may have never had the chance to draft him at No. 20 overall.
The addition of the former Buckeye could complete the Seahawks' passing attack. With Metcalf and Lockett featuring primarily on the outside as the two known deep threats, Smith-Njigba can work underneath out of the slot.
Seattle already has two proven 1,000-yard receivers on its roster with Metcalf and Lockett. Now, the team has the potential for a third in Smith-Njigba, which would certainly see PFF keep them among the league's best receiving corps for the foreseeable future.
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