WR, Ohio State
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 198 lbs
Class: Junior
As a five-star recruit in Texas, Smith-Njigba turned plenty of heads. He finished his senior season in high school with an eye-popping 2,094 yards and 34 touchdowns. Offers flooded in and he committed to Ohio State where he joined a star-studded receiving room under the tutelage of Brian Hartline.
Smith-Njigba played a limited role as a true freshman, finishing with just 10 catches for 49 yards. He exploded onto the scene in 2021 where he formed an exciting connection with quarterback CJ Stroud. Smith-Njigba put himself in the record books with 95 catches for 1,595 yards and nine touchdowns. His 2022 season was hampered by injuries, limiting him to just 62 total snaps.
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Strengths
Smith-Njigba’s biggest strength is his refined technique. For such a young player he already possesses many of the traits that you would expect from a seasoned NFL veteran and his playstyle should naturally lend itself well to the pro game. His release package is excellent and he showcases the ability to vary his footwork and make subtle adjustments to manipulate defensive backs off the line. He is one of the best in the country at winning early in the route.
His technique is on full display throughout the rest of his routes too. Smith-Njigba does well to keep his chest clean thanks to his refined hand usage and doesn’t allow opponents to easily disrupt him through the stem. When he gets to his breakpoints he is quick to throttle down and change direction. His ability to disguise routes and make things look the same also keeps defenders guessing until the last second. Smith-Njigba displays the awareness to target the blind spot of his opponents and he is particularly effective at finding soft spots in zone coverage.
Another of Smith-Njigba’s strengths is his hands. He is a reliable pass catcher with the active hands you want at the position. He maintains good concentration through the catch process and isn’t deterred when contact is imminent. There were also a number of occasions where he was required to make late adjustments to the football by virtue of poor placement. He looked comfortable when doing so, and also had no issues tracking the ball downfield as a vertical threat.
One he has completed the catch, Smith-Njigba also offers some impressive YAC ability. He is a noticeably fluid mover in the open field and this allows him to navigate traffic very well. He pairs this with some impressive ball carrier vision too and is adept at finding daylight. Whilst he isn’t overly big or fast, he has enough wiggle to often make the first defender miss in space. This all saw him force an impressive 19 missed tackles on 95 receptions in 2021.
Weaknesses
The biggest limitation to Smith-Njigba’s game is his athletic profile. He is not particularly explosive or twitchy in short areas as you might expect for a slot receiver. He also lacks the long speed to be a true three level threat at the NFL level. Both of these issues are already apparent at the collegiate level and are only likely to be more pronounced in the pro game. You won’t see Smith-Njigba separate by virtue of athletic traits alone and he will be reliant on his technique to win in the NFL.
Teams are also likely to have some concerns about his usage in Ohio State’s offense. During his time with the Buckeyes, Smith-Njigba has played the overwhelming majority of his snaps in the slot. 89% of his snaps came there in 2021. 86% of his receiving yards and 92% of his receptions also came from the slot. That isn’t to say he can’t win on the boundary, but examples of him doing so are few and far between. Teams will understandably have concerns about his ability to hold up to press coverage in the NFL.
Bottom Line
Smith-Njigba is the latest in a long line of polished receiving prospects to come out of Columbus. Whilst the concerns around his athletic profile and slot usage are real, his innate understanding of route running and excellent hands give him a very high floor.
Ideal role: Slot receiver in a spread/RPO-heavy scheme
Round projection: 1st round
