Jaxon Smith-Njigba
22-Year-Old
2024 Receiving Stats
REC
14
YDS
136
TD
0
AVG
9.7
TAR
18
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Smith-Njigba was a divisive prospect coming out of Ohio State last year, with his credentials as a first-round pick almost entirely dependent on his 1,600-yard sophomore season. He barely played as a freshman -- no crime in an offense loaded with future first-round WRs -- and then caught just five passes in three games during an injury-plagued junior campaign. Smith-Njigba excelled in agility drills at the 2023 Combine, but he skipped the 40-yard dash (later running a 4.48-4.53 at his pro day) and didn't make up for it with size (6-1, 196). Seattle took the plunge with the 20th overall pick, making "JSN" the first of four straight receivers drafted. Of the four, Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison definitely had better rookie seasons, while Quentin Johnston came away looking worse than Smith-Njigba. Truthfully, Smith-Njigba's unusual usage makes it tough to draw conclusions from his rookie season even though he took on 93 targets and 675 snaps in 17 games. He took 68 percent of his snaps either in the slot or lined up tight to the formation, and more than one-third of his targets came from behind the line of scrimmage. Smith-Njigba's failure to draw looks downfield might seem damning -- just 24 targets 10-plus yards from the LOS -- until you remember he was a 21-year-old in the same offense as a healthy DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. We can't project big volume with Metcalf and Lockett still around and QB Geno Smith still throwing the passes, but new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb could boost the pace and play volume relative to sluggish former OC Shane Waldron, and Smith-Njigba's continued development could allow him to overtake Lockett this year or next. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
First 100-yard game
Smith-Njigba recorded 12 receptions on 16 targets for 117 yards in Sunday's 23-20 overtime win over the Patriots.
ANALYSIS
The Seahawks showed more aggression through the air than in Week 1, and targets condensed around Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf. Metcalf stole the headlines with a 56-yard touchdown catch, but Smith-Njigba emerged as Geno Smith's favorite target in all areas of the field throughout the day. As a result, he was able to tally receptions of 24, 19, 16 and 14 yards to record the first 100-yard game of his career. The Seahawks' offensive strategy is likely to vary from week to week, but Smith-Njigba has gained the trust of Smith and will be a key part of the team's passing attack.
The Seahawks showed more aggression through the air than in Week 1, and targets condensed around Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf. Metcalf stole the headlines with a 56-yard touchdown catch, but Smith-Njigba emerged as Geno Smith's favorite target in all areas of the field throughout the day. As a result, he was able to tally receptions of 24, 19, 16 and 14 yards to record the first 100-yard game of his career. The Seahawks' offensive strategy is likely to vary from week to week, but Smith-Njigba has gained the trust of Smith and will be a key part of the team's passing attack.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Jaxon Smith-Njigba's 2024 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Air Yards Per Game
89.5Air Yards Per Snap
1.74% Team Air Yards
34.2%% Team Targets
26.5%Avg Depth of Target
9.9 YdsCatch Rate
77.8%Drop Rate
5.6%Avg Yds After Catch
3.9% Targeted On Route
28.1%Avg Yds Per Route Run
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2024
2023
2024 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Jaxon Smith-Njigba lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the Dolphins pass defense compare to other NFL teams this season?
The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.
vs Dolphins
Sunday, Sep 22nd at 4:05PM
Overall QB Rating Against
112.3
Cornerbacks
109.0
Safeties
95.8
Linebackers
121.4
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2024 Jaxon Smith-Njigba Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Jaxon Smith-Njigba's measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* All metrics are from his Pro Day (not the combine).
Height
6' 0"Weight
197 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.52 secShuttle Time
4.21 secHand Length
9.00 inArm Length
30.62 in
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2023 Fantasy Outlook
Smith-Njigba didn't play much as a freshman at Ohio State and was limited to three appearances as a junior while battling hamstring injuries, but in between he put up 1,606 yards as a sophomore in an offense that also featured 2022 first-round picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. For what it's worth, Wilson has said Smith-Njigba is the best player of the trio -- a statement that became all the more interesting when both Wilson and Olave topped 1,000 yards as NFL rookies. While he doesn't quite have the straight-line speed to match his college teammates, the slot-based Smith-Njigba made waves at the 2023 combine with elite marks in the three-cone drill (6.57 seconds) and short shuttle (3.93). That's like where he'll play for the Seahawks, who made him the first wide receiver selected in this year's draft at 20th overall. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett figure to dominate the targets, but Smith-Njigba gives Seattle a third wideout it's lacked in recent years and could make an immediate impact in three-receiver sets.
More Fantasy News
Just two catches in debut
Smith-Njigba caught both of his targets for 19 total yards in Sunday's 26-20 win over the Broncos.
ANALYSIS
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Pair of catches in preseason finale
Smith-Njigba brought in both his targets for 32 yards in the Seahawks' 37-33 preseason win over the Browns on Saturday night.
ANALYSIS
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Two catches in preseason opener
Smith-Njigba brought in both targets for 13 yards in the Seahawks' 16-3 preseason win over the Chargers on Saturday night.
ANALYSIS
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Back at practice
Smith-Njigba (shoulder) participated in Wednesday's practice, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
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Exits practice with shoulder injury
Smith-Njigba left Wednesday's practice early with a shoulder injury that coach Mike Macdonald doesn't consider serious, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Plays much more than Lockett
Smith-Njigba played 48 snaps on offense to Tyler Lockett's 31 in Sunday's 26-20 win over the Broncos, per Mike Clay of ESPN.
ANALYSIS
Smith-Njigba was just four snaps short of DK Metcalf's team-leading total among wide receivers, but JSN had just 19 yards on two targets. Conversely, Lockett led the team with six catches for 77 yards on seven targets. Lockett's modest playing time may have been due in part to the thigh injury he had been nursing coming into the game, so Smith-Njigba may not have overtaken one of Seattle's two veteran wide receivers in the pecking order just yet.
Smith-Njigba was just four snaps short of DK Metcalf's team-leading total among wide receivers, but JSN had just 19 yards on two targets. Conversely, Lockett led the team with six catches for 77 yards on seven targets. Lockett's modest playing time may have been due in part to the thigh injury he had been nursing coming into the game, so Smith-Njigba may not have overtaken one of Seattle's two veteran wide receivers in the pecking order just yet.