- Almost an all-time start: In the PFF era (2006-present), Smith-Njigba’s PFF grade of 93.4 is the second-highest among all wide receivers through nine weeks of a season (min. 25 targets).
- Huge deep ball success: Smith-Njigba has posted a whopping 411 yards on targets from more than 20 yards down the field so far this year. Through nine weeks of a season, that’s the most of any player not named Tyreek Hill or DeSean Jackson this decade.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Few debates in football generate as much passion as the discussion about who truly ranks among the NFL’s elite receivers.
Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase are undeniably there, while Puka Nacua has firmly planted his flag among the best wideouts in the league. For the next player on your list, you’d be forgiven for going for a safe choice; A.J BrownCeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown are all proven commodities, and no one can rightly criticize a list of these players in your top five.
However, allow me to take the field for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is among the very best wide receivers in football. Fortunately, I don’t have to make any striking statements to make this case; the figures amply support this.
Smith-Njigba has been on a roll lately, with at least eight receptions for more than 120 yards in each of his last four games. Add in back-to-back 100-yard performances to open the season, and Smith-Njigba has propelled himself to the top of the NFL’s receiving yards leaderboard, with more than 100 yards to spare from second place. Not to mention, the Seahawks have already completed their bye week!
Because of that bye, and because the Seahawks are the toughest offense in the NFL, Smith-Njigba doesn’t even land in the top 50 receivers on routes run so far this year. This results in a gaudy figure of 4.41 meters per route, the likes of which we have rarely seen before.
In the PFF era (2006-present), Smith-Njigba’s PFF grade of 93.4 is the second-highest among all wide receivers through nine weeks of a season (min. 25 targets). The 23-year-old sensation is the only wideout to post three consecutive PFF offensive grades of 90.0 or higher this season.
Smith-Njigba’s jump from Year 2 to Year 3 was even greater than his breakthrough from rookie to second-year pro. This can perhaps be attributed to the fact that he now plays a much different role within the Seahawks’ offense compared to his first two campaigns.
After the departure of DK Metcalf (and the arrival of Cooper Kupp), the Seahawks now field Smith-Njigba as an outside receiver 79% of the time. This is a huge jump from just 16% perimeter exposure last year, when Seattle largely boxed Smith-Njigba.
This transition did not come without uncertainty. When Smith-Njigba tore teams apart alongside CJ Stroud State of Ohiohe stood in line 89% of the time. And while his 6-foot-1, 196-pound frame is considered above average for the wide receiver position, Smith-Njigba’s naturally thin build (and undeniable closing success) led many to wonder whether the Seahawks should dare push him out of his comfort zone entering his third pro season.
However, Seattle didn’t have much of a choice. With Metcalf elsewhere and Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s offseason experiment not paying off, Smith-Njigba was tasked with becoming the Seahawks’ top threat — something new quarterback Sam Darnold desperately needed.
In his career revival year with the Vikings, Darnold threw for 1,192 yards on deep pass attempts (20+ yards downfield). That was over 200 yards more than the next closest quarterback. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison finished third and sixth, respectively, in receptions 20 yards or more downfield last season. Meanwhile, back in Seattle, Metcalf came in first.
Smith-Njigba’s turn outside was born not out of curiosity, but out of necessity. Trek enthusiasts among us will remember the question marks surrounding his high speed, which ultimately led to him skipping the 40-yard dash at his combine. That’s one of many factors that could have created skepticism around this move. However, the numbers tell a different story.
Smith-Njigba has posted a whopping 411 yards on targets from more than 20 yards down the field so far this year. Through nine weeks of a season, that’s the most of any player not named Tyreek Hill or DeSean Jackson this decade. That’s not even who Smith-Njigba is as a receiver! It is truly extraordinary that a player so technically gifted in short and medium areas also has this dynamic, depth of ability in his game.
Of Smith-Njigba’s 11 deep receptions, four were contested catches, another NFL high. That proves that not only is Smith-Njigba capable of blowing past you, but Darnold can also put the football up for grabs and trust Smith-Njigba to run with it.
Likewise, his average target depth this season has grown to 12.8 yards, a marked increase from 9.2 yards from last season – almost a completely different player from his 6.4 ADoT from his rookie year. Smith-Njigba wins on deep crossers, posts and nine routes, while looking as menacing as ever on ramps and hitches around the sticks. Five receptions for 166 yards and three touchdowns on just post routes is a statistical mark that no receiver should reach with just eight games of football — no less one who played almost exclusively slot receiver since high school prior to this year.
Smith-Njigba isn’t dropping passes at a slower pace than he used to. He is not averaging more yards after the catch than in previous seasons. Nor is he taking in an unrealistic percentage of contested catches that will eventually overtake him. He simply gets the opportunities he deserves and wins with the one thing that got him this far: sensational route running.
Whenever a draft darling like Smith-Njigba comes along, it’s always easy to say there wasn’t really a scenario in which he wouldn’t last in the NFL. However, it was really just a question of who would put him in the best position to succeed. It may have taken a few years, but the Seahawks have cracked the code and unlocked one of the very best players in the sport.
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