Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Smith-Njigba was a divisive prospect coming out of Ohio State last year, with his credentials as a first-round pick almost entirely dependent on his 1,600-yard sophomore season. He barely played as a freshman -- no crime in an offense loaded with future first-round WRs -- and then caught just five passes in three games during an injury-plagued junior campaign. Smith-Njigba excelled in agility drills at the 2023 Combine, but he skipped the 40-yard dash (later running a 4.48-4.53 at his pro day) and didn't make up for it with size (6-1, 196). Seattle took the plunge with the 20th overall pick, making "JSN" the first of four straight receivers drafted. Of the four, Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison definitely had better rookie seasons, while Quentin Johnston came away looking worse than Smith-Njigba. Truthfully, Smith-Njigba's unusual usage makes it tough to draw conclusions from his rookie season even though he took on 93 targets and 675 snaps in 17 games. He took 68 percent of his snaps either in the slot or lined up tight to the formation, and more than one-third of his targets came from behind the line of scrimmage. Smith-Njigba's failure to draw looks downfield might seem damning -- just 24 targets 10-plus yards from the LOS -- until you remember he was a 21-year-old in the same offense as a healthy DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. We can't project big volume with Metcalf and Lockett still around and QB Geno Smith still throwing the passes, but new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb could boost the pace and play volume relative to sluggish former OC Shane Waldron, and Smith-Njigba's continued development could allow him to overtake Lockett this year or next.

Smith-Njigba didn't play much as a freshman at Ohio State and was limited to three appearances as a junior while battling hamstring injuries, but in between he put up 1,606 yards as a sophomore in an offense that also featured 2022 first-round picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. For what it's worth, Wilson has said Smith-Njigba is the best player of the trio -- a statement that became all the more interesting when both Wilson and Olave topped 1,000 yards as NFL rookies. While he doesn't quite have the straight-line speed to match his college teammates, the slot-based Smith-Njigba made waves at the 2023 combine with elite marks in the three-cone drill (6.57 seconds) and short shuttle (3.93). That's like where he'll play for the Seahawks, who made him the first wide receiver selected in this year's draft at 20th overall. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett figure to dominate the targets, but Smith-Njigba gives Seattle a third wideout it's lacked in recent years and could make an immediate impact in three-receiver sets.