Battle of Buckeyes Adds Intrigue to Seahawks, Buccaneers Week 5 Clash

RENTON, Wash. - As far as roster construction is concerned, while the two teams have their share of differences, the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will square off on Sunday with identical 3-1 records and no shortage of likenesses.

Under center, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield rebounded from “bust” labels after being cast away by multiple teams, including at one time being teammates with the Panthers, by re-emerging as Pro Bowl quarterbacks in Seattle and Tampa Bay. The two teams have three former North Dakota State alumni starting on their offensive lines, albeit with Buccaneers guard Cody Mauch now out for the season. And interestingly, both of their offensive coordinators in Klint Kubiak and Josh Grizzard previously played defensive back as Division I standouts at Colorado State and Yale respectively.

But when the two teams meet up at Lumen Field this weekend, in regard to the likeness that may be the most impactful in deciding who wins on Sunday, all eyes will be glued on a pair of ex-Ohio State teammates in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Emeka Egbuka, two of the best young receivers in the NFL who might as well have their mug shots photoshopped onto the famous Spiderman pointing meme given their abundance of similarities in everything from size to athletic traits to skill set.

Already in his third season at just 23 years young, on the heels of his first 1,000-yard campaign, the 6-0, 197-pound Smith-Njigba has taken the torch from DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett as the undisputed No. 1 receiver for the Seahawks and ran with it. Thriving in Kubiak’s version of the West Coast offense, through four weeks, he ranks in the top five in the NFL in receptions (26), receiving yards (402), and yards per reception (15.5), well on his way to his first Pro Bowl and potential All-Pro consideration.

Following in Smith-Njigba’s footsteps as a first round pick who landed with the Buccaneers and brings smooth-as-silk route running coupled with stick ‘em grade hands, the 6-1, 205-pound Egbuka wasted no time becoming a favorite target for Mayfield. In his first four NFL games, he has already snagged 18 receptions for 282 yards with four touchdowns, tied for third in the league behind only Rome Odunze and Amon-Ra St. Brown, helping the offense keep humming even with star wideouts Chris Godwin and Mike Evans each missing time.

“Man, he's been balling out. I’m definitely happy for him,” Smith-Njigba said of Egbuka, who will be making a homecoming after starring at Steilacoom High School in Tacoma. “He's a sharp route runner. He's going to catch the ball. He’s a solid player. Hopefully he doesn't have too good of a Sunday, but I’m super proud of him. He's a brother of mine, so like I said, it's great to see him balling out.”

The latest star receivers to come from Ohio State, which may have cemented its status as the modern day “WR U” in the past decade with first round picks at the position seemingly every year, Smith-Njigba and Egbuka are far from one-trick ponies and already belong in the discussion as two of the most dynamic weapons in the league.

Comparably speaking, just as they did in Columbus torturing Big Ten foes, Smith-Njigba and Egbuka have been equally destructive against opposing defenses in the first month of the season, proving to be more than chain-moving possession targets as some advertised in their respective draft cycles. Both players have generated splash plays in bulk, averaging north of 15.5 yards per reception and hauling in five receptions apiece on passes traveling 20-plus yards through the air, tied for the most among receivers so far. Darnold and Mayfield have regularly taken downfield shots to them, evidenced by their average depth of targets being 12.7 and 12.8 respectively.

Per Pro Football Focus charting, each player also ranks in the top 20 among receivers in yards after the catch and in the top 10 in contested catches, with Smith-Njigba and Egbuka regularly outmuscling defenders over the middle to make plays in traffic and pick up extra yardage with the ball in their hands. The ability to create at all three levels both from the boundary and the slot makes them nightmares for opposing cornerbacks to defend on a weekly basis, even when pitted against the best of the best.

In Week 2, Smith-Njigba cooked former All-Pro Jalen Ramsey with five receptions on five targets for 76 yards, including a 43-yard bomb to help put the Steelers away on the road. Last week against the Cardinals, he hauled in four catches for 79 yards on four targets against No. 1 corner Max Melton. As for Egbuka, he had a 30-yard catch against Jets star Sauce Gardner in Week 3 and scored two touchdowns against standout safety Jessie Bates in a season-opening win over the Falcons.

Looking at Sunday’s marquee matchup, Smith-Njigba and Egbuka could have even bigger advantages facing off against defenses dealing with multiple injuries in their respective secondaries. For the Seahawks, Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon has missed two practices this week due to lingering knee soreness and safety Julian Love has also been out with a hamstring strain. The Buccaneers may be in even worse shape, as starting cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Benjamin Morrison have also missed two practices already this week, leaving them potentially down to their third and fourth boundary players at the position.

Close friends from their time together at Ohio State, Smith-Njigba couldn’t be happier to see Egbuka emerge as the next great one in a long line of star receivers who wore scarlet and silver. Those who came from coach Brian Hartline’s school of pass catching have formed a lifelong fraternity and they always wish each other well around the league.

But at least for this week, with his Seahawks seeking a fourth straight win and a second consecutive victory against a former teammate after coming out on top against Saints receiver Chris Olave in Week 3, Smith-Njigba will be keeping fingers crossed his Buckeye brother won’t have quite as good of a game as he did going for 101 yards against the defending champion Eagles last weekend and that his teammates can keep him under wraps, which may be a deciding factor on who ultimately comes up with the win in a battle between budding contenders.

“It is always good to play former Buckeyes. I’ve been having some good luck with that, so hopefully we continue to win against those guys.”