Brian Hartline played WR for the Dolphins during the Seahawks’ peak Legion of Boom days. However, since 2018 he’s served as the wide receivers coach at Ohio State, where they’ve been pumping out more pro wideouts than any other Power 5 program in recent years.
The latest big name to emerge from the Buckeyes’ receiver factory is Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who somehow fell to the Seahawks at No. 20 overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Smith-Njigba is our favorite pick in the class and fits exactly what Seattle was missing at the position.
Nobody would know better what Smith-Njigba brings to the table than Hartline. Here’s what he said about JSN’s game, per Mike Dugar at the Athletic.
“The tempo in which he changes directions is very special… Special meaning that I don’t see a whole lot of guys that do that. His catch-to-run mechanics, his ability to catch the ball and transition to a ball carrier is very uncommon. He does it at a very high level. That also plays into his overall speed and the way he plays the game.”
That ability to change directions helps Smith-Njigba simply get open a high-level trait that has earned him lofty comparisons to Yakima’s Cooper Kupp, who won Super Bowl MVP a couple seasons ago with the Rams.
As far as the numbers go, Smith-Njigba only had one great year in college, but it was a dominant one. In 2021 he dropped 95 catches, 1,606 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
It’s unlikely Smith-Njigba will approach those numbers in the pros – considering he’ll have to share targets with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. Then again, Smith-Njigba fits snugly between those two in many ways. At 6-foot-0, 197 pounds he’s got Lockett’s elusiveness and short-area quickness along with some of Metcalf’s length and straight speed. JSN also thrives from the slot – something neither Lockett or Metcalf are known for. There’s a lot of hearty portions to be had at that WR3 spot, especially for someone with this skillset.
Together, this group has been ranked the second-best receiver unit in the NFL by Mike Clay at ESPN.
