Ohio State Jaxon Smith Njigba Dynasty Value
Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is just one of the big names making headlines as the NFL draws ever closer to this year’s NFL draft.
Jaxon Smith-Nijgba landed with the Ohio State Buckeyes. During his freshman season, Smith played 10 games but managed just 10 receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. While that might not seem to jump off the page, Smith would later be named the starting slot receiver for the 2021 season. During his sophomore season, Smith would leap off the page, going for 1,606 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 95 receptions, averaging 16.9 yards per reception. This breakout season would land Smith on the Associated Press All-American third team as well as ranking third on the Big Ten Conference selection. Smith-Njibga also played with 2022 NFL first-round picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. Could you imagine playing with the trio of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson?
Jaxon Smith Njigba Draft Odds
Smith-Njigba is the leading wide receiver to be drafted first in the 2023 NFL Draft. It’s fascinating that after only being able to participate in three games of the previous season due to injuries, we are still swooning over the 2021 season of the Ohio State product. Smith-Njigba broke program records in 13 games played, hauling in 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. He recorded a staggering 347 receiving yards in the 2021 Rose Bowl matchup over Utah. A BetMGM Ohio promo code is a handy resource to have if you’re looking to get in on the action and maximize your winnings. While being drafted first (-120) might not be as appealing to you, where he goes could be a fun complementary bet if you’re working on a Mock Draft. The following are some of his latest landing spot odds.
- Texans +400
- Bears +500
- Patriots +600
- Ravens +800
- Packers +800
- Giants +900
Ohio State Records
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 15 receptions, 346 yards, 3 TDs
The 346 receiving yards is the most for any bowl game in history. Wow.
pic.twitter.com/Euf1bThfWw— Footballism (@FootbaIIism) January 2, 2022
Smith has the Ohio State record for the most catches in a single game with 15, on two separate occasions, as well as the most receiving yards in a single season. The kid is a baller. Smith’s college junior season would be cut short however, as he played just three games in 2022 and missed the remainder of the season dealing with a hamstring injury. He also opted to not play during the college playoffs. Not long after, Smith would forego his senior year at Ohio State and prepare to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. But what could his future look like in the NFL?
A Potential Dynasty Gem
Coming in at 6’1″ and 196 lbs, Jaxon Smith-Njigba boasts some serious skill. According to CBSSports, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is listed as a top-five wide receiver in their wide receiver rankings and there’s a good reason why he’s put as a first-round talent. At first sight, Smith doesn’t jump off the page in terms of speed. He does have decent speed but not the game-breaking speed like some of the other wide receivers ahead of him. If it can be described as anything it would probably be more of a “burst” type of speed as opposed to flat-out long-distance speed. But again, that’s not a knock against him because what he lacks in game-breaking speed he makes up for it in his route running and separation ability.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was able to make play after play coming out of the slot for the Buckeyes under quarterbacks Justin Fields and CJ Stroud. One thing that showed up on his film and highlights were that he was able to create separation against defenders and get open on his routes especially when it came to plays in the middle of the field. If an accurate quarterback can get Smith the ball on the kinds of routes he uses, he can be very effective in the right offense. Another thing that shows up on film is that if you get caught by his route running, Smith can make you pay on those deep routes.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba officially ran between a “4.48-4.52” in the 40-Yard Dash at Ohio State’s Pro Day today.
For perspective, Stefon Diggs ran a 4.46.
Amon-Ra St. Brown ran a 4.51.
DeAndre Hopkins ran a 4.57.
Ceedee Lamb ran a 4.50.
The Buckeyes WR put the speed concerns to… pic.twitter.com/w4LQkXy29z
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) March 22, 2023
If you are still concerned about Smith’s speed, during the Ohio State Pro day, Smith reportedly ran between a “4.48-4.52”. This speed puts him in the range of other wide receivers like Ceedee Lamb, Amon Ra St. Brown, and DeAndre Hopkins. Those receivers also rely not just on speed but superior route running to gain separation from their defenders. For example, Amon Ra St. Brown finished as a top 10 fantasy wide receiver for the 2022 season, totaling 1,161 yards, six touchdowns, and a 16.7 fantasy points per game average. St. Brown saw 146 targets last season, tying for the eighth spot with Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. And according to Next Gen Stats, St. Brown averaged 3.1 yards of separation for the 2022 season which puts him league with guys like Ceedee Lamb, Hunter Renfrow, and Justin Jefferson. The point I’m making is that Smith’s route running ability is top notch so while he might not blow you away with pure speed, if you sleep on his route running, he’s going to make you pay.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba running the 40 at @OhioStateFB pro day pic.twitter.com/ZOGkMKhsD8
— Andrew Groover (@APGroover) March 22, 2023
One more thing that’s worth highlighting is that Smith’s catching ability is an “A rating from the Better Business Bureau” good. During the 2021 college season, Smith cracked 1,600 yards on just 95 receptions. There were only six other receivers ahead of him in receptions but Smith had the best yards per reception out of that group at 16.9 y/r. If the ball is in Smith’s area he’s going to catch it. And he’s not a body catcher either. The kid has hands like glue and works various parts of the field with excellence. He’s an accurate quarterbacks dream as he just seems to be right where he’s supposed to be on the field.
Perfect Landing Spots
One thing that dynasty managers should consider is where the players they have high on their rookie draft boards is where the player lands during the NFL draft. This is something that can drastically change the scope of a draft prospect and impact his NFL and fantasy career. For Jaxon Smith-Njigba, I have two landing spots where I think he could benefit the most from should he be able to be drafted there based on the draft order in the first round. The first spot for me would have to be the Houston Texans. With the top four quarterback prospects being Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson potentially coming off the board, I believe that the Texans will likely end up with Stroud at the second overall pick. I’d wager the Carolina Panthers would either take Bryce Young or Will Levis. Should that scenario work out, Stroud would fall right into the Texans lap. And what’s a fast way to help your new franchise quarterback get acclimated to the NFL? By getting him a familiar and reliable weapon. That’s where Jaxon Smith-Njigba comes in.
The Texans have the 12th overall pick in the draft after receiving that gem from the Cleveland Browns after the Deshaun Watson trade. The Texans can swing back around and grab one of Stroud’s favorite college targets. Not to mention there is a hole at the wide receiver position behind Nico Collins after Brandin Cooks was traded to the Dallas Cowboys. That would be the ideal landing spot for Smith to land should this scenario fall the way I’ve been dreaming it up.
Another good place for Jaxon Smith-Njigba to land would be the Dallas Cowboys. Just kidding. While I do believe the Cowboys could use Smith in their new offensive scheme under Mike McCarthy, I have serious apprehensions that a guy like Smith would fall all the way to the 26th pick. Stranger things have happened and if he were to make it there it would be a great pick up for the Cowboys as it would add depth behind the starting unit and could possibly make Micheal Gallup a tradeable asset should the need arise. But my true second landing spot would be the Green Bay Packers. With Aaron Rodgers more than likely heading to the AFC to play with the New York Jets, the Packers should be looking to add more weapons around quarterback Jordan Love. The Packers front office already is off to a good start in this area after bringing back Aaron Jones on an extension and still have AJ Dillon on the roster but they really knocked it out of the park by drafting Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs from last seasons draft.
Watson brings a big body with true speed as the Packers new wide receiver one and Romeo Doubs showcased his catching ability that made him buzz throughout training camp last season and in my opinion, made Randall Cobb obsolete. The one thing the Packers lack is an impactful slot wide receiver. That’s where Jaxon Smith-Njigba comes in. Smith could be the “finishing touch” for a new scale offense in Green Bay and he’s more likely to be available in the top of the first round as opposed to the back half. The Green Bay Packers have the 15th selection and if he makes it pass the Texans at 12th they would have the option of moving ahead of some of the other teams like the New England Patriots (who could also use some help at the wide receiver position too) to go and get their guy.
The Wrap Up
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is considered one of the top dynasty prospects heading into the 2023 dynasty rookie draft this season and even considered as a tier one rookie prospect with the likes of Bijan Robinson and Jordan Addison. If the hype is real, you may only get a shot at him in the first half of the rookie draft at best. That means that if you want this guy, you’re going to have to move up in the draft order to get him. While some may look at Smith as having just one good season at the college level, the fact remains that his production was real. Ranking third in receiving yards for the 2021 season was superb and we could have gotten to see more out of Smith if it wasn’t for the hamstring injury. But what he was able to put on tape during that season showcased just how clean of a route runner he is and his ability to get open against defenders.
We have seen guys at the NFL level that can do just that with their route running like Cooper Kupp and Hunter Renfrow. Guys that aren’t blazing fast but know how to work out of the slot and get production done on the field. Now don’t get it confused. I’m not comparing Smith to those guys but just highlighting how exceptional route running is the thing to look for with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, not just what his 40 time is. Smith should be a sought after dynasty rookie coming out of the draft this season. And depending on his landing spot (hopefully the Texans), he’s going to have a bright career ahead of him and a great investment for dynasty managers this season.
