The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
A year ago the Green Bay Packers traded up in the second round to select Christian Watson with the 34th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. It was the earliest the Packers had drafted a wide receiver since selecting Jordy Nelson with the 36th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
With the Packers likely in the market for another wide receiver, it would not be shocking to see Brian Gutekunst make another aggressive move to add another wide receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft. A player that he could target in a trade-up to start day two of the upcoming draft is Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Ohio State wide receiver checks in at No. 91 in the Unpacking Future Packers.
Smith-Njigba, a former five-star recruit, missed the majority of this season due to a hamstring injury. The year prior, Smith-Njigba rewrote the Ohio State record books.
In 2021, Smith-Njigba set the program record for receptions (95) in a season and receiving yards (1,606) in a season. That 1,606 mark also set the Big 10 conference record for receiving yards in a single season.
To go along with that, he set the Ohio State single-game record for receptions in a game (15). He first set the record against Nebraska and reached that mark again in the Rose Bowl against Utah.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs Utah
⭐️ 15 catches
⭐️ 346 yards
⭐️ 3 TDsThis WR1 is coming to you soon in 2023 fantasy drafts 😁 pic.twitter.com/ibPvzpjxd4
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) January 2, 2022
Over the final eight games of the 2021 season, Smith Njigba recorded 77 receptions for 1,257 yards and six touchdowns. He had six 100-yard receiving games and had 90-plus yards in all eight games, including two games where he went over 200 yards. He accomplished all that while playing in the same offense as Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, a pair of first-round wide receivers.
Smith-Njigba is a pro-ready wide receiver. He’s not a speed merchant and he’s not going to run a blazing 40-time at the NFL Scouting Combine. However, he plays faster than his 40-time will indicate due to his route-running prowess.
This release against press-man to run the seam by Jaxon Smith-Njigba was disrespectful to that Oregon CB. pic.twitter.com/2Qc2U6MhHL
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) January 18, 2023
He’s a detailed route runner with crafty footwork that does a good job of varying his route tempo to manipulate space and keep defensive backs off balance. He breaks in and out of his cuts with no wasted motion to create separation. While he’s not overly explosive or twitchy, he does have good short-area quickness that helps him create separation out of the slot. He’s a smart football player that finds the open spaces in the middle of the field to make himself available to the quarterback.
“He has always been an outstanding route runner,” Colin Gray, the Ohio State reporter for the Columbus Dispatch said. “He’s incredibly crisp and technical on his routes, creating separation at a moment’s notice and providing quarterbacks clean, yet small windows to work with. It’s something Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline preaches when he has a wide receiver in his room with fundamentals, specifically receivers’ footwork, which translates extremely well to the next level.”
There’s a lot to like with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Nuanced route runner who creates separation well underneath and can create yards after the catch. In the Rose Bowl last season: 15 catches, 346 yard, 3 TDs.
He was a monster. pic.twitter.com/weZ8UNor5J
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) January 19, 2023
Wilson ran a 4.38 and Olave ran a 4.39 40-time at the scouting combine last season. Smith-Njigba is unlikely to match that time of his former teammates. That doesn’t mean he’s not a dynamic playmaker. He’s crafty and slippery after the catch. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith-Njigba was first among Power Five wide receivers in 2021 with 43 receptions of 15-plus yards and racked up 790 yards after the catch.
Slippery After the Catch would be the name of Jaxon Smith-Njigba's debut album.#YAC pic.twitter.com/OU1W1jvS81
— Brennen Rupp (@Brennen_Rupp) January 23, 2023
“Smith-Njigba is not the fastest or most explosive receiver that will be available in the 2023 NFL draft,” Gray said. “He does find success when given opportunities in stride, specifically on crossing routes and the like, but Smith-Njigba isn’t going to fly by any defensive backs on one-on-ones on the outside.”
He’s a hands catcher that plucks the ball away from his frame without having to throttle down. He has outstanding body control and tracks the ball well in flight. In 2021, Smith-Njigba was targeted 112 times and credited with just six drops.
The Ohio State wide receiver gives effort as a blocker. It’s unlikely that he’ll ever be a punisher on the outside due to his size (6-0, 200 pounds). The effort is there and coaches can work with that.
“Blocking is an expectation for any Ohio State wide receiver,” Gray said. “While he may not have the same size as a receiver like Marvin Harrison Jr., Smith-Njigba is smart enough to know when he can be of use in outside situations. I’m not sure that a 6-foot-1, 200-pound receiver can be of much use in that department compared to a player like Allen Lazard or Christian Watson, but Smith-Njigba helps where he’s needed.”
On top of his skills as a wide receiver, Smith-Njigba had limited reps as a punt returner during his time at Ohio State. He finished his career with 11 career punt returns and an average of 6.5 yards per return.
Fit with the Packers
Smith-Njigba played primarily in the slot during his record-setting season. That’s where he’ll find success at the next level. With Watson and Romeo Doubs outside, Smith-Njigba in the slot could be the perfect complement.
43 receptions of 15-plus yards in 2021 (PFF). It's easy to forget how good Jaxon Smith-Njigba was during his record-setting season.
If he's still on the board to start day two, go up and get em Gutey. pic.twitter.com/jGLAxPEr3P
— Brennen Rupp (@Brennen_Rupp) January 23, 2023
Hartline gets his guys ready for the next level. Wilson during his rookie season finished his rookie season with 83 receptions for 1,103 yards. Olave recorded 2 receptions for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns. Smith-Njigba is a pro-ready route runner and there is no reason to think Smith-Njigba couldn’t post a similar stat line during his rookie season.
“Ohio State has produced some of the top talents at wide receiver in recent memory, including the only two rookie wide receivers — Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson — to reach 1,000 receiving yards last season,” Gray said. “While Olave and Wilson are extremely good football players, Smith-Njigba stems from that same foundation focused on fundamentals and footwork. It would not surprise me if Smith-Njigba puts on a show at his Pro Day and exceeds expectations as he continues to rehab his hamstring injury. But there’s a lot still to learn about Smith-Njigba. He never really had the opportunity to reach his potential at the college level. If healthy, he’s starting off as consistent of a receiver as you can ask for in the slot with no real ceiling at this point.”
Smith-Njigba is a polished route runner, with strong hands that could thrive playing out of the slot in Green Bay’s offense. If he’s still on the board to start the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft, don’t be surprised if Gutekunst makes the move to go up and snag the Ohio State wide receiver. If he puts on a show at his pro day, and scouting combine (and everything checks out on his medicals), maybe he’s the wide receiver that finally ends the first-round wide receiver drought in Green Bay.
