Is Seahawks Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba Ready For Stardom?
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="735"]
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 5: Jaxon Smith-Njigba #11 of the Seattle Seahawks runs after the catch before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on January 5, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Credit: Ric Tapia/Getty Images [/caption]
The Seattle Seahawks went through a huge reshuffle on the offensive side of the ball this spring. The offense will have at least five new starters in 2025 compared to those who got the lion’s share of reps at those spots last year. The receiver room essentially had dynamite taken to it, with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett both leaving town.
Former first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been slowly building towards becoming one of the best receivers in football. His rookie year in 2023 was uneven. However, he did notch two separate game-winning touchdown catches during the season, showing off his knack for coming through in big spots.
Last year, he took another big step forward. Even with Metcalf and Lockett still on the team, JSN led the team with 137 targets. That led to 100 catches — tying Lockett’s 2020 franchise record — for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns.
That earned him his first Pro Bowl nod in what is a very crowded receiver room in the NFC. He joined the likes of Justin Jefferson, Aman-Ra St. Brown, and Ceedee Lamb among NFC Pro Bowl receivers.
Now that the other two staple receivers in Seattle have departed, is there room for Smith-Njigba to take yet another step forward? What does that look like?
He already was one of just 10 receivers in the NFL last year with 100 receptions and 1,100 receiving yards. It’s getting harder and harder to keep him outside of the top 10 receivers currently in the NFL.
One thing working against the former Ohio State star is simple math. There may not be that many targets going his way this season, given the nature of what offense new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak wants to run. If Smith-Njigba doesn’t equal or exceed his 2024 numbers, it might not even be any fault of his own, but of a lack of targets. Hopefully, that means Seattle is running the ball well enough to not need to throw it to him 137 times this season.
Even with a possible reduction in overall targets, this is Year 3 for the uber-talented receiver and he is now the top dog in the room. Sam Darnold is coming to Seattle without much of a rapport with any of these receivers, and with the way Smith-Njigba runs routes and gets open on his own, he may become Darnold’s best friend.
There is a scenario where Smith-Njigba does look improved, even from a solid 2024 campaign, but the overall numbers aren’t as gaudy. Opposing defenses will key on him more and Seattle wants to throw the ball less.
Even with a few factors working against him that he didn’t encounter last year, Smith-Njigba should still get to 1,000 yards if healthy. He has the talent and skillset to be a perennial 1,000-plus yard receiver and always in the conversation for Pro Bowls. Plenty of top-tier receivers put up big-time numbers without getting 130-plus targets. Philadelphia’s star receiver A.J. Brown didn’t even get to 100 targets and still earned Second Team All-Pro.
Smith-Njigba is a reliable target who usually comes down with the ball when targeted. Among the 35 receivers who saw at least 100 targets last year, he had the fifth-best catch rate. That ranked better than the likes of Ja'Marr Chase and Mike Evans.
Is JSN ready for stardom? You might be able to say he has already reached it. Indeed, Smith-Njigba has the skillset to become a true alpha receiver in this league and is coming off of one of the most efficient and productive seasons in Seahawks franchise history.
